On July 18, Ms. Renata Wrobel, EU Delegation Chargé d'affaires a.i. delivered an opening statement during the national workshop organized by the Ready4Trade Central Asia project funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Trade Center (ITC). The workshop was attended by the representatives of public sector, international organizations and projects in Turkmenistan, as well as ITC partner organizations in Central Asia.
“The EU is one of the strategic partners of Central Asian countries. We, at the European Union, are particularly proud to see the results of the fruitful collaboration with the Government of Turkmenistan when the country obtained the status of the observer in the organization in July 2020 and then Turkmenistan’s ambassador submitted an official application to join the WTO on behalf of his country in November 2021. The WTO accession process is a great learning tool for all of us and will provide an opportunity for trade-related reforms as well as to take measures to attract foreign direct investment. Now, becoming member of the WTO would bring Turkmenistan’s development to a higher level. However, there are a few more steps to follow. In this regard, the launch of a Trade Facilitation Portal is an important part of the process as it will help Turkmenistan comply with the international trade standards, increase competitiveness and provide guarantees and transparency to attract foreign investment, as well as speed up the automation of some customs processes and procedures,” noted Ms. Wrobel in her statement.
The main objectives of the workshop were to enhance the participants’ understanding of the Trade Facilitation Portal and to strengthen the participation of public sector representatives in the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Portal and its further operationalization, as well as to discuss issues related to the validation and certification of relevant information on the Portal.
ITC team is collaborating with the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations and border regulatory agencies of Turkmenistan in order to develop a Trade Facilitation Portal, to build capacity of a team which will administer the platform in full autonomy, as well as to ensure its use by the private sector.
Ready4Trade is a regional project financed by the European Union and implemented by the International Trade Centre in Central Asia. Its aim is to contribute to the overall sustainable and inclusive economic development of Central Asia by boosting intra-regional and international trade. Beneficiaries of the Ready4Trade project include governments, small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular women-led enterprises, and Business Support Organizations. The project operates in 5 countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
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