During the official visit to the French Republic, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov spoke at the Turkmen-French economic forum, which was held at the InterContinental Paris - Le Grand Hotel.
The speech of the National Leader at the forum was built around three key areas - the geopolitical position of the country, its geo-economic potential, as well as the need to coordinate joint work with international partners, primarily with France.
The main idea of the report is to present Turkmenistan as a stable, politically neutral and reliable partner in the Central Asian region.
I. Geopolitical situation: neutrality as a basis for foreign policy
The central theme of the first section was a reminder of the internationally recognized neutrality of Turkmenistan, which was confirmed for the third time in 2025 by the UN General Assembly Resolution. This status is considered not only as a foreign policy formality, but also as the basis for sustainable, balanced and constructive diplomacy of Turkmenistan.
As the National Leader noted, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed declaring 2025 the International Year of Peace and Trust, which received support from the international community, including France. In this regard, an open diplomatic initiative was made: an invitation to events on December 12 in Ashgabat, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the country's neutrality.
Regional ties were also highlighted as an important area of foreign policy. Turkmenistan emphasizes its commitment to good neighborliness with Iran and Afghanistan, as well as with the countries of Central Asia. Trade and economic cooperation is developing with Iran, and a stable dialogue based on historical and cultural commonality is developing with Afghanistan.
Separately, the active position of Turkmenistan in regional and interregional formats was emphasized, such as the recent EU-Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan, where Ashgabat reached a number of new agreements with European countries.
II. Geoeconomics of Turkmenistan: investments, industrialization and open markets
The second part of the speech by Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the economic prospects of the country. According to the International Monetary Fund, Turkmenistan is among the developing economies, which creates favorable conditions for attracting investments.
The National Leader emphasized that the country has already created a reliable regulatory framework for investors that meets international standards. And this, as Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized, should serve as a guarantee of investment security and legal predictability for foreign partners.
Next, two long-term development programs were presented. This is the Industrialization Program until 2030, covering key sectors, including the oil and gas industry, agriculture and construction. And also, the National Program of Socioeconomic Development until 2052, focused on sustainable growth.
Considerable attention was paid to the already achieved results of cooperation with French companies – such as Cifal, Bouygues, Vinci, Schneider Electric – which participate in a number of large-scale projects in Turkmenistan. This experience is assessed as positive and replicable on a new basis.
III. Five areas for coordinating joint work
The final section of the speech was devoted to specific proposals for expanding Turkmen-French cooperation. In this part, five priority areas were identified in which Turkmenistan is ready for systemic interaction:
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Promotion of French goods and technologies on the market of Turkmenistan - especially in the oil and gas, transport, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as in the field of satellite technologies and water resources.
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Attracting France's advanced experience in such areas as green and hydrogen energy; combating methane emissions; geological exploration; urban development and environmental modernization. In particular, it was proposed to include these topics in the agenda of the Turkmen-French working group on energy and hold its meeting this year.
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Integration of small and medium-sized businesses of France into the economy of Turkmenistan, which can contribute to the deepening of business ties and diversification of projects.
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Cooperation in the field of tourism, where Turkmenistan is interested in using French experience, as well as in revealing its own tourism potential.
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Training of qualified personnel, especially in the areas mentioned above, which will ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the partnership.
According to Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, there are already all the necessary prerequisites for strategic planning and transition to specific steps. The Turkmen leader views the participation of Turkmen businessmen in the forum as confirmation of openness and readiness for dialogue.
Relations aimed at the future
At the end of the speech, head of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to the French organizers for creating a platform for direct communication and joint search for new formats of interaction.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan is ready for practical discussion of all the initiatives expressed, which are aimed at deepening bilateral dialogue, strengthening trust and jointly building a sustainable economic future.
ORIENT
