On January 30, 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, hosted a webinar on drafting a schedule of commitments for market access in financial services. The event was organized under the ongoing joint UNDP project, “Partnering for SDG acceleration, Phase III”.

The webinar offered an overview of multilateral rules governing international trade in services, as well as approaches to regulation of financial services of Turkmenistan in the context of ongoing economic reforms. Participants learned how to prepare for forthcoming negotiations on terms of the WTO accession in financial services sector, in particular how to reflect current and future national regulations in WTO documents.

“The financial system plays a strategic role in economic growth, making it crucial to define Turkmenistan’s national interests for market access in financial services as part of the WTO accession process,” noted Mr. Maxim Medvedkov, UNDP international expert.

The webinar brought together over 30 representatives of the Government of Turkmenistan, including sectoral ministries and agencies such as the Mejlis (Parliament), the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, the State Customs Service, the Central Bank, and other key state institutions, as well as representatives from the private sector.