The EU’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Luc Devigne, has described Turkmenistan as a key partner in the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy, in an exclusive interview with News Central Asia (nCa).
“Turkmenistan is an essential partner for Global Gateway, not a peripheral one,” Devigne said. Turkmenistan is part of the €12 billion Global Gateway package for Central Asia announced at the 2025 Samarkand summit. Bilateral trade is nearly €1.3 billion, making the EU Turkmenistan’s fourth-largest trading partner. Relations still rest on an interim trade agreement from 2010; unlike four other Central Asian states, Turkmenistan has no Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.
Trade along the Trans-Caspian corridor has quadrupled since 2022. “Now we need to make it cheaper and… faster and (more) digital,” the ambassador said. On delivering Turkmen gas to Europe across the Caspian, he said: “We remain ready to examine any sound project meeting our standards.” He added that such projects must be able to attract private capital.
Devigne listed the main obstacles for European investors: predictability, clear trade rules, currency convertibility, reliable logistics and fast internet. He also confirmed EU support for Turkmenistan’s accession to the WTO. A Global Gateway summit is planned in Brussels in June 2027.
CentralasianLIGHT.org,
November 10, 2026