Ashgabat, August 31, 2026 – The Europe Today: Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who arrived in Turkmenistan on an official visit, Turkmen state media reported Sunday.
During the meeting, Motegi thanked President Berdimuhamedov for receiving him and for the hospitality extended to the Japanese delegation, emphasizing that Japan considers Turkmenistan a reliable and important partner.
The Japanese foreign minister conveyed warm greetings from Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Motegi also expressed appreciation for President Berdimuhamedov’s letter of condolence following the earthquake in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture.
In response, President Berdimuhamedov conveyed his best wishes to the Japanese leadership and expressed confidence that Motegi’s visit would serve as an important step toward further strengthening and expanding Turkmen-Japanese relations.
The two sides underscored the long-term strategic nature of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Japan. They noted that bilateral engagement extends beyond relations between the two countries and includes cooperation within the United Nations and the Central Asia-Japan Dialogue framework.
President Berdimuhamedov identified trade and economic cooperation as one of the key priorities of bilateral relations. He highlighted Turkmenistan’s longstanding cooperation with major Japanese companies, including ITOCHU Corporation, Toyo Engineering Corporation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., particularly in the gas and chemical sectors.
The Turkmen president emphasized that there are broad prospects for expanding cooperation in these industries and for developing new areas of economic partnership.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of cultural and humanitarian exchanges in strengthening relations between the two countries. Both sides expressed confidence that effective Turkmen-Japanese cooperation would continue to expand and exchanged best wishes for the future development of bilateral ties.
Earlier the same day, Foreign Minister Motegi held talks with Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan.
The discussions focused on the current state and future prospects of cooperation in political and diplomatic affairs, trade and the economy, as well as cultural and humanitarian relations.
Following the talks, the Foreign Ministries of Turkmenistan and Japan signed a Cooperation Program for 2027–2029, providing a framework for further strengthening bilateral engagement in the coming years.
