On December 5, a regular meeting of the foreign ministers of the five Caspian states was held in Moscow. Issues of regional cooperation were discussed in the “Caspian Five” format, from political dialogue to trade and economic relations.
The position of Turkmenistan, which plays one of the key roles in the Caspian region, deserves special attention in the negotiations. The country is actively participating in the development of joint approaches to solving pressing problems of the Caspian Sea, primarily environmental ones. In addition, Turkmenistan has great energy potential, which makes it an important partner for other Caspian states.
The website arzuw.news, in an analytical article, reviewed the results of the latest meeting of the “Caspian Five” with an emphasis on the role of Turkmenistan in shaping the negotiation agenda and defending national interests.
Turkmenistan actively defends its interests at the Caspian Five negotiations
The delegation of Turkmenistan at the negotiations was headed by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. In his speech, the diplomat focused on two key issues – the environmental agenda and energy cooperation in the Caspian region.
As for ecology, the Turkmen side insists on the need for a comprehensive study of the problem of lowering the level of the Caspian Sea, including the creation of a special working group. A proposal was also voiced to speed up the approval of a draft five-party agreement on scientific research in the Caspian Sea.
In the energy sector, Turkmenistan calls for the speedy implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea regarding the laying of pipelines along the bottom of the reservoir. This meets the interests of all states in the region, as it will strengthen energy security and transit potential.
Thus, Turkmenistan demonstrates interest in deepening mutually beneficial partnership in the Caspian region, relying on existing agreements and mechanisms.
Turkmenistan insists on taking into account its interests in the final statement
As a result of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the “Caspian Five”, a joint statement was adopted, reflecting the main agreements and directions for further interaction.
Although the document is of a compromise nature, it reflects the key issues raised by the Turkmen side. In particular, the statement speaks of the need to intensify work to agree on a draft five-party agreement on marine scientific research in the Caspian Sea.
The initiative of Turkmenistan to form a working group to study the problem of shallowing the Caspian Sea and develop response measures was also supported.
In addition, the parties noted the importance of further cooperation under the Tehran Convention, designed to ensure the protection of the Caspian marine environment.
Thus, on a number of issues, Turkmenistan managed to defend the inclusion of its position in the final document of the Caspian Five negotiations. This testifies to his active and consistent line at multilateral platforms in the region.
Turkmen-Russian partnerships are an important element of the country’s regional positions
In addition to participating in the multilateral negotiations of the Caspian Five, Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held a separate bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Following the negotiations, it was stated that the Russian-Turkmen strategic partnership is developing positively and consistently, based on high mutual understanding of the parties. Particularly noted were such areas of cooperation as political and diplomatic dialogue, trade and economic ties, cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
During the meeting, Russia confirmed its full support for the foreign policy pursued by Turkmenistan, including the initiative to create a Group of Friends of Neutrality at the UN.
Thus, Turkmenistan has formed strong bilateral relations with the Russian Federation as a key player in the Caspian region, which strengthens the overall foreign policy position of this Central Asian country.
The Caspian Sea is a promising direction for the economic interests of Turkmenistan
The economic aspect plays an important role in Turkmenistan's policy towards the Caspian region. Although the share of the Caspian countries in Turkmenistan’s foreign trade still remains small, the connectivity of this Central Asian republic with its Caspian neighbors is steadily growing.
Russia is a particularly promising economic partner for Turkmenistan. The countries are successfully increasing trade turnover and implementing joint business projects. Another important direction is Iran, with which a free trade zone has been launched.
Given Turkmenistan's rich resource base, including vast reserves of natural gas, developing economic ties with its Caspian neighbors is in the country's long-term interests. This will accelerate the modernization of the national economy and increase its competitiveness on a regional scale.
Neutral Turkmenistan contributes to stability in the Caspian region
One of the key foreign policy principles of Turkmenistan is the position of permanent neutrality, which the country has adhered to since 1995. And this line fully meets the interests of security and cooperation in the Caspian region.
Speaking at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the “Caspian five”, the Turkmen side emphasized that the Caspian Sea should remain a zone of stability and trust. Any potential risks and threats to peace in the region need to be immediately neutralized.
Considering the authority of Turkmenistan as a neutral state, its efforts to strengthen security and create an atmosphere of trust in the Caspian Sea play a special role. This is noted by Turkmenistan’s partners in the region, including Russia.
Thus, the consistent implementation of a balanced independent course allows Turkmenistan to contribute to solving the problems of ensuring stability and security in the Caspian region.
Summing up, it can be stated that Turkmenistan, during the last meeting of the Caspian Five foreign ministers, demonstrated itself as an independent and consistent player in regional politics.
Based on the principle of permanent neutrality, Turkmenistan actively defends its interests in the field of environmental and energy cooperation with other Caspian states. A number of proposals from Turkmenistan were supported and reflected in the final documents of the meeting.
As negotiations with Russia show, Turkmenistan has developed strong bilateral relations with key players in the Caspian region. This strengthens its position on multilateral platforms and allows it to more effectively convey its own approaches and vision of the development of the situation in the region.
Thus, following the results of the last meeting of the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkmenistan once again demonstrated an independent line aimed at defending national interests and strengthening stability in the Caspian region. This increases his authority as one of the key players in regional politics.
