From March 4 to 6, newly appointed European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Eduards Stiprais, paid a working visit to Ashgabat.
He held a series of high-level meetings to discuss key aspects of cooperation between the EU and Turkmenistan, regional stability, and multilateral engagement, according to a press release from the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan, as reported by Orient.tm.
On the first day of his visit, he met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, to exchange views on the current state and future prospects of EU-Turkmenistan relations.
He then held talks with the Chairperson of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, Dunyagozel Gulmanova. The meeting focused on interparliamentary cooperation and Turkmenistan's legislative initiatives in areas of mutual interest.
As part of his visit, Eduards Stiprais also met with the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Dmitry Shlapachenko, to discuss UN-EU cooperation in the country and joint efforts in sustainable development.
A meeting with the Ambassador and Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, John S. McGregor, was dedicated to regional security challenges and opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the EU and the OSCE in Central Asia.
Eduards Stiprais also held talks with the Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Kaha Imnadze, as well as with EU mission heads and ambassadors from Central Asian countries.
Eduards Stiprais assumed his role as the EU Special Representative for Central Asia on March 1. The fact that he arrived in Ashgabat just a few days after taking office highlights the importance the European Union places on engagement with Turkmenistan and Central Asia, with a particular focus on regional cooperation, economic development, and security dialogue.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 7, 2025