Brussels, July 17, 2026 – The Europe Today: Turkmenistan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional security, sustainable development and cooperation with the European Union during the 13th High-Level Dialogue on Politics and Security between the European Union and Central Asia, held in Brussels on July 16.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov represented the country at the meeting, where participants discussed key regional and international security issues, prospects for deeper cooperation between Central Asian countries and the European Union, and the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at enhancing resilience, border management, regional connectivity, and multilateral cooperation in addressing contemporary security challenges.
Addressing the dialogue, Gurbanov described the Central Asia–European Union cooperation framework as an effective mechanism for combining the strengths of the region and the EU to promote sustainable development, expand connectivity and reinforce regional security.
He stressed that Turkmenistan consistently believes lasting peace and security cannot be achieved through military means alone. Instead, he underscored the importance of political and diplomatic solutions, confidence-building measures among states, sustainable socio-economic development, strict adherence to international law, effective multilateral diplomacy, and the central coordinating role of the United Nations in maintaining global peace and stability.
The Turkmen side reaffirmed its support for further strengthening institutional cooperation between Central Asia and the European Union, including through the High-Level Dialogue on Politics and Security, meetings of the special representatives of Central Asian states and the EU, and practical EU programmes designed to enhance the security capacities of countries in the region.
On the sidelines of the dialogue, Deputy Foreign Minister Gurbanov met with Gilles Bertrand, the European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Head of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Division at the European External Action Service.
The two sides discussed current cooperation related to Afghanistan, with the Turkmen delegation reaffirming its commitment to continuing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, advancing regional transport and energy projects involving Afghanistan, and expanding practical cooperation with the European Union through existing consultation mechanisms, including meetings of special representatives and the CADAP and BOMCA regional programmes.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of coordinating international efforts under the central role of the United Nations, including cooperation within the UN Doha Process, to promote Afghanistan’s sustainable socio-economic development and strengthen regional security.
During the visit, Gurbanov also held talks with Olof Skoog, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the European External Action Service.
The meeting reviewed prospects for expanding Turkmenistan-European Union cooperation in transport connectivity, including the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and the implementation of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative.
Both sides also expressed mutual interest in strengthening cooperation in the energy sector, focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy development, the adoption of modern technologies and methane emissions reduction.
In addition, the discussions covered cooperation in education, professional training and academic exchanges, with both sides emphasising the importance of maintaining regular political dialogue and expressing confidence that continued partnership would facilitate the implementation of mutually beneficial joint projects.
