And so, another Forum "Days of Turkmenistan's Economy" has drawn to a close, held in the world's "alpha city" – Frankfurt-on-Main (not to be confused with the city on the Rhine). This metropolis is not only the heart of German commerce and finance but also a key centre of culture, education, tourism, and transport.
To speak in the language of figures, the forum turned out to be truly grand in scale: – 12 framework agreements and memoranda were signed, – 86 B2B meetings and 38 B2G meetings were held, – the total number of participants from the Turkmen side amounted to 232 people.
But behind these dry figures lies a tremendous amount of work. The forum's organisers were the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and TMT Consulting Group, with active support from the Consulate of Turkmenistan in Frankfurt-on-Main, headed by Mr M. Ozbekbaev, and the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, represented by Mr M. Harms. Their joint efforts made the event not just a "forum for the sake of a forum", but a genuinely significant step towards strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships and advancing Turkmenistan's national economic interests.
The forum's general sponsors were the leading Turkmen company "Ojar Aziya" and the international agribusiness giant "John Deere". Their involvement underscored the high status and serious level of the event, while also vividly demonstrating the readiness of strategically important companies to contribute to bolstering trade and economic ties between Turkmenistan and Europe.
The forum's programme was packed and varied. Participants paid particular attention to off-site familiarisation events, including:
• a visit to the central office and production complex of BASF;
• a trip to the production facilities of Wirtgen Group;
• participation in a round table at the financial organisation AKA-Ausfuhrkreditgesellschaft GmbH (Germany).
Each of these enterprises is a giant with multi-billion-turnover operations and world-class projects.
The first session had a special atmosphere – almost informal, yet sincere. The speakers spoke from the heart and mind, only occasionally glancing at their notes as if for prompts. The interpreters had a tough time of it, but they rose to the challenge brilliantly.
Thus, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, Mr N. Atagulyev, noted in his speech that during his stay in Germany, he had the opportunity to visit several clothing stores with German partners. With a smile, he remarked that products made from Turkmen cotton are sold there at prices ten times higher than in Turkmenistan, while emphasising the high quality and eco-friendliness of domestic textiles, which are pleasant to the touch and in demand on the international market.
As participants jokingly pointed out, the essence of the forum was not only to "show oneself and look at others", but also to lay the groundwork for real investments, new contracts, and long-term partnership projects.
The Forum in Frankfurt-on-Main has become a vivid confirmation that Turkmenistan's economic diplomacy is confidently venturing into new horizons, paving the way for major international initiatives and mutually beneficial cooperation with European countries.
ORIENT
