Turkmenistan, with the support of ADB, is preparing to join the WTO
Technical working sessions on trade policy issues organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) were held in Turkmenistan from October 2-6. The purpose of the sessions was to prepare a Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) – a key document for negotiations on Turkmenistan's accession to the WTO.
The sessions were attended by more than 30 representatives of various ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, headed by the Ministry of Finance and Economy. They discussed with ADB and WTO experts various aspects of trade policy, such as technical barriers to trade, intellectual property rights and public procurement.
Galina Romanova, Head of the Department of Public Finance and Economic Policy of the Ministry of Finance, noted the ADB's strong support for the process of Turkmenistan's accession to the WTO.
Director of the WTO Accession Department Mike Oshikawa in turn, she congratulated Turkmenistan on the progress made in the preparation of the MFTR, which will allow the country to start a dialogue with the Working Group on Joining the Organization.
Director of the ADB Permanent Mission in Turkmenistan Artur Andrisyakom confirmed the Bank's commitment to support the country's efforts to join the WTO.
The technical working sessions are part of a series of capacity-building activities for Turkmenistan's accession to the WTO, which have been held by ADB and the WTO since 2020.
ADB is one of Turkmenistan's main development partners. The organization has been cooperating with Turkmenistan since 2000 and provides assistance in diversifying the country's export markets and strengthening its regional interconnections.
Turkmenistan has significant energy resources and a strategic location, which is why the ADB has focused its activities on the transport and energy sectors, projects in which are designed to intensify the country's regional cooperation.
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