A meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan between Deputy Foreign Minister Akhmed Kurbanov and the Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan Beate Peksa, as well as experts from the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism "Hedaya".

During the talks, the parties discussed current issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union in the field of security. The importance of the regional programs CADAP (Central Asia Drug Action Programme) and BOMCA (Border Management Assistance Programme in Central Asia), which contribute not only to strengthening border security, but also to the development of interregional cooperation in general, was noted.

The meeting participants considered opportunities for bilateral cooperation within the framework of the EU regional program "STRIVE ASIA" aimed at increasing resilience to violent extremism. In this context, the importance of the completed LEICA project "Law Enforcement in Central Asia" (2020-2024) was emphasized, within the framework of which a number of events were held to increase capacity and strengthen cooperation in matters of ensuring security and protecting critical facilities.

The parties also noted the importance of the fundamental joint documents defining the framework for cooperation between Central Asia and the European Union. Among them are the Roadmap for Deepening Ties (adopted in Luxembourg in 2023), the Joint Communique of the 20th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central Asia and the EU (adopted in Ashgabat in March this year) and the Joint Declaration following the first summit of the European Union and Central Asia (adopted in Samarkand last month).

The meeting reaffirmed the mutual commitment of Turkmenistan and the European Union to further developing dialogue and cooperation in the field of security.

ORIENT