Turkmenistan Forms National Negotiating Group for WTO Accession
Ashgabat is taking another strategic step toward integrating into the global trading system and aligning national legislation with international law. At a regular Cabinet of Ministers meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov presented a package of practical proposals to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov aimed at intensifying negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Currently, the key efforts of the relevant Government Commission and the interdepartmental working group are focused on finalizing the "Memorandum on Foreign Trade Rules of Turkmenistan"—the foundational document necessary for advancing the integration process.
The next meeting of the working group, where the final version of the Memorandum will be discussed and approved in detail, is scheduled for June 10 of this year. Furthermore, as part of its cooperation with the WTO Secretariat, Ashgabat will initiate the process of selecting and approving the chair of the special working group on Turkmenistan from among the member states of the European or Asia-Pacific regions.
An important institutional decision will be the creation of a National Negotiating Group of Turkmenistan. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed identifying and approving the composition of this structure, as well as developing a joint work plan with the WTO. This will allow Turkmen diplomats and economists to participate as observers in specialized preparatory training sessions and WTO sessions to effectively conduct future tariff and commercial negotiations.
Summarizing the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan prioritizes deepening its partnership with international economic institutions and instructed the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue systematic work to expedite the WTO accession process.
