Turkmen Ambassador discussed joint projects with the DG INTPA

The promotion of joint projects between Turkmenistan and the European Union was the subject of a meeting between Turkmen Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov and Sarah Rinaldi, Head of the Central Asia and Middle East Department of the European Commission, held in Brussels on Tuesday.

The Ambassador spoke in detail about the priority areas in the program of national development and international cooperation of his country, highlighted potential areas of cooperation with the EU, such as transport, digitalization, technological cooperation, women's entrepreneurship and education.

Sara Rinaldi, in turn, presented the activities of the office headed by her and stressed the importance of the Global Gateway strategy, an initiative of the European Commission, which from the end of 2021 contributes to accelerating digital, energy and environmental transformations in countries with rapidly developing economies and developing countries.

One of the notable programs that drew the attention of the representative of the European Union, Sara Rinaldi, is the program for Sustainable Energy Cooperation in Central Asia (SECCA). Launched in 2022, this initiative aims to promote the development of a more reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supply in Central Asian countries.

Rinaldi also mentioned the EU's commitment to provide technical assistance to relevant personnel in Turkmenistan on a digitalization project early next year. This program will build on other regional initiatives and further expand digital opportunities in the country.

In the field of education, Rinaldi emphasized the significant role of the Erasmus+ program, which promotes student exchanges and academic cooperation between European and Central Asian universities.

Another important regional program implemented by the European Union in Turkmenistan is a joint disaster risk reduction project implemented in cooperation with the United Nations. This project is aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response capacity in the country.

The meeting resulted in the expressed readiness of the parties to strengthen contacts and continue effective partnership on these tracks.