Today, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan hosted a meeting between Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiev and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid, who arrived in Ashgabat as part of her Central Asian tour.

According to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, within the framework of the talks, the current state and prospects for the development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the OSCE in the political and economic spheres, in the field of energy and environmental security, promotion of parliamentary diplomacy, as well as in matters of the humanitarian dimension were discussed.

During the meeting, it was stated that in recent years, Turkmenistan has noticeably intensified ties with such OSCE institutions as the Parliamentary Assembly, the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media.

The Secretary General noted the efforts of Turkmenistan in the process of resolving the situation and restoring the world order in Afghanistan, through the implementation of regional and international infrastructure projects, and the provision of effective humanitarian assistance to the neighboring country.

In the political dimension, the effective partnership achieved with the OSCE in countering terrorism, combating cross-border crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, the threat of violent extremism and radicalization is noted. At the same time, strengthening joint cooperation in the field of cybersecurity is highlighted as a promising area.

It was also stated with satisfaction that recently the cooperation of Turkmenistan with the OSCE in key areas, such as energy and environmental security, transport interconnectedness, have been steadily developing. In particular, the importance of Turkmenistan's initiatives in the field of energy and environmental security, sustainable transport and water diplomacy, which correlate with the main priorities of the OSCE, was highlighted.

During the conversation, V. Hajiev emphasized that Turkmenistan supports the development of "green" ports and interconnectedness in the Caspian Sea region, digitalization, facilitation of trade procedures and transport and logistics routes in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

It was also noted that in the humanitarian dimension, cooperation with the OSCE continues to build up through the Office of the Authorized Representative for Human Rights in Turkmenistan.

Special attention was focused on the importance of successful implementation in Turkmenistan of joint programs and projects carried out with the OSCE Center in Ashgabat.

According to the OSCE, Helga Schmid's agenda includes her meetings with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Speaker of the Mejlis Dunyagozel Gulmanova, Ombudsman Yazdursun Gurbannazarova and other interested parties.

During the visit, the OSCE Secretary General will also take part in the inauguration of the new building of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat on 1 June.

Upon completion of her visit to Turkmenistan, Helga Schmid will visit Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.