The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is preparing to launch its first investment projects in Turkmenistan under a memorandum with the country's Central Bank signed in July 2026. Eric Livny, Head of the EBRD Resident Office, told Trend that the agreement paves the way for direct financing of export-oriented private companies with foreign currency earnings in agribusiness, logistics, and manufacturing.
The bank also plans to partner with Turkmen financial institutions to develop small and medium-sized businesses and introduce trade finance instruments. Meanwhile, EBRD experts are conducting technical studies on transport projects, including the modernization of the Trans-Caspian Corridor infrastructure, and Ashgabat's participation in the Green Cities program. Since 1992, the EBRD has invested €322 million in the country across 87 projects.
The resumption of EBRD investment activity in Turkmenistan marks Ashgabat's gradual transition away from financial isolation. Focusing on exporters with foreign currency earnings is a pragmatic step, minimizing currency risks for the international structure in the face of strict regulatory control.
For the EBRD, Turkmenistan is a critical link in the Middle Corridor. Investments in logistics and the private sector strengthen the region's transit potential, linking Central Asia with Europe. For Ashgabat, cooperation with institutions like the EBRD serves not so much as a source of capital as a tool for technology transfer and the gradual integration of Turkmen businesses into global trade chains.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 6, 2026