President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Mark Bowman, reported the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to strengthening and building up mutually beneficial international cooperation, including productive ties with reputable financial institutions and banking structures. The head of state expressed confidence that the meetings and negotiations with Turkmen colleagues scheduled within the framework of the current visit of the EBRD Vice President to Ashgabat would contribute to the further development of bilateral economic relations.

In the course of the exchange of views on the priority aspects of cooperation, the sides noted with satisfaction the effective and long-term nature of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EBRD. It was noted that along with the positive results achieved, new promising areas of partnership are opening up, one of which was energy.

It emphasized the commitment of Turkmenistan, with its rich natural resources, to cooperate in this area through diversification. The country is also taking consistent steps to introduce environmentally friendly technologies into the industry and develop “green” energy. This provides ample opportunities for the EBRD to participate in Turkmenistan's sustainable energy projects and initiatives.

Transport was also identified as one of the topical areas of co-operation. It was noted that the favourable geographical location of Turkmenistan is a key factor in the development of the transport and logistics system. Here, special attention is paid to the formation of interconnectivity of all types of transport. Work is underway to create multi-vector North-South and East-West transport corridors of regional and international significance.

In this context, emphasis was placed on the prospect of intensifying international communications across the Caspian Sea, for which it was necessary to make optimal use of existing opportunities. It was also noted that there is a great potential for increasing the capacity of the Turkmenbashy International Sea Port, which is an important link on the routes connecting Europe and Asia. In this regard, the head of state reaffirmed Turkmenistan's readiness to consider specific proposals of the EBRD on participation in projects to create transport and transit corridors.

The meeting also touched upon co-operation in agriculture, banking and private sector.