nCa Report
- National leader of the Turkmen people Arkadag Berdimuhamedov took part in the meeting “Central Asia + Germany” – Agenda and results of the working visit to Berlin
- Meeting with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier
- Meeting in the Eastern Committee of the German Economy – Turkmenistan takes a firm position on gas supplies to Europe through the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline
- Meeting with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz – Turkmenistan highlighted four areas of partnership between Central Asia and Germany
- Arkadag Berdimuhamedov and Olaf Scholz discussed issues of Turkmen-German partnership
- Energy, transport, ecology – the key topics of the meeting of Arkadag Berdimuhamedov with the Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection of Germany
- Turkmen-German business forum
On September 28-29, 2023, the working visit of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Germany took place.
On September 29, a series of multilateral meetings of the leaders of Central Asian countries in the Germany + Central Asia format took place in Berlin. Among them:
- Meeting with Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier
- Meeting of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy
- Meeting with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz
Meeting with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier
The meeting “Central Asia + Germany” with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, held in the format of a business breakfast, was also attended by National leader of Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Steinmeier noted the importance of interaction in the “Central Asia + Germany” format, the potential of which can be effectively used in the context of maintaining regional peace and stability, the successful integration of Central Asia into modern world processes.
During his speech, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan welcomes the initiative to create a new multilateral format and is ready to expand partnership in all areas of common interest.
Today, the countries of Central Asia intend to further develop interaction aimed at creating conditions in the region to ensure the well-being of the peoples of our countries. In this context, it was emphasized that among modern problems the most pressing are issues of security, socio-economic development, ecology and humanization of international relations.
Speaking about security , Arkadag emphasized that Turkmenistan considers this comprehensive category in the context of its integrity.
“In our deep conviction, the United Nations should remain the mechanism for ensuring security on a global scale,” said the National Leader of the Turkmen people, noting that, based on this, at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan took the initiative to prepare a Global Security Strategy based on UN norms and principles.
In this regard, it was stated that it is important to pay special attention to the principle of preventiveness, as the most significant component of preventing conflict situations at the earliest stages of their occurrence.
Another component of the security formula, as emphasized, could be the use of the potential of neutrality, which includes elements of responsible deterrence and active peacekeeping activities.
Touching upon the issue of economic development, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov, first of all, noted the global interconnectedness of this process. Today, the system of world economic relations implies not only the integration of the economies of different countries, but also the coherence of the work of many of its components.
Among them were traditional areas: energy, transport and the financial sector, as well as new modern segments of the economy, such as digitalization, artificial intelligence and green technologies.
In the fields of energy and transport, Turkmenistan is promoting in the international arena initiatives related to the reliable transit of energy resources and the creation of new transport corridors, continued the National Leader of the Turkmen people, and, taking this opportunity, expressed gratitude to Germany for co-authoring the resolutions of the UN General Assembly in these areas proposed by the Turkmen side
Speaking about the prospects for cooperation in the trade and economic sphere between the countries of Central Asia and Germany, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted with satisfaction the presence of the powerful potential of national economies, as well as the demand for significant industrial, technological and investment capabilities of Germany in the Central Asian region, rich in natural and human resources.
Promising areas of joint activity were identified as the energy sector, logistics, industry, infrastructure, agriculture and water management, the private sector, green economy and others.
Noting the interest of our country at the current stage of transformation of the global energy market and world transport routes in participating in new configurations of partnership along the Europe-Asia vector, the National Leader of the Turkmen people emphasized that such an approach is largely consistent with the EU Strategy for Central Asia, as well as with the European the Global Gateway plan until 2027, initiated by Team Europe.
Particular emphasis was placed on energy issues. Turkmenistan, having enormous reserves of natural gas, is pursuing a policy of diversifying supply routes to international markets for this type of energy carrier, which is today in demand in the world as a fuel with a limited carbon footprint. In this context, the importance of implementing gas supply projects in the European direction was noted.
Regarding the transport topic, Arkadag confirmed his readiness to actively develop logistics routes along the Central Asia – Europe route, focusing on the prospects of the Caspian Sea – Black Sea transport and transit corridor with the further use of the potential of the Danube River.
Ecology was identified as one of the important vectors of cooperation. Here, the guideline for interaction is the Green Central Asia initiative, based on the German approach to adapting to climate change.
The spheres of education and culture occupy a significant place in the partnership of the countries participating in the current meeting; there are great prospects for joint work in the context of the fruitful activities in the region of such German programs as the Goethe Centers, DAAD, PAD and PASCH. Taking into account the great interest in studying the German language in Turkmenistan, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty expressed his readiness to further develop cooperation in this direction.
Having placed special emphasis on the importance of intensifying cultural exchange between peoples, Berdimuhamedov noted the successful experience of holding an archaeological exhibition in German cities of one of the cradles of world civilization – ancient Margiana, which was visited by about 430 thousand citizens. In this regard, it was proposed to consider the possibility of holding a second cycle of this exhibition, as well as displaying artifacts of the Parthian kingdom.
In conclusion, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov once again expressed gratitude to the German side for organizing the current visit, confirming Turkmenistan’s interest in building up multifaceted cooperation.
Meeting in the Eastern Committee of the German Economy – Turkmenistan takes a firm position on gas supplies to Europe through the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline
Next, a meeting was held at the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, chaired by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and the Committee of Shareholders of Claas KGa GmbH, Katrina Klaas-Mühlhäuser, on the topic “Joint shaping of the strategic future – strengthening economic cooperation between Central Asia and Germany.”
The business event was also attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The German side was represented by State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Udo Philipp, Federal Minister for Special Assignments, Head of the Federal Chancellery of Germany Wolfgang Schmidt, heads of the companies Linde GmbH, GP Günter Papenburg AG, Knauf, Ernst Klett AG “, “DB Engineering and Consulting”, “BayWa AG”.
Opening the meeting, Katrina Klaas-Mühlhäuser emphasized that the exchange of views on the agenda, in particular on the investment attractiveness of the Central Asian states and the creation of conditions for effective economic activity of German companies in the region, will allow us to outline specific mechanisms for increasing productive interaction and discuss the possibilities of implementing new projects in strategically significant sectors of the national economies of the countries participating in the “Central Asia + Germany” format.
State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection Udo Philipp noted that Germany attaches great importance to deepening fruitful relations with the countries of Central Asia, located at the strategically important intersection of two continents and making a significant contribution to global development processes.
As emphasized, great prospects are opening up in such areas as energy, investment, trade, the creation of joint ventures and new jobs, the transport and logistics sector, agriculture, advanced technologies and renewable energy sources.
Expanding cooperation in the field of education, in particular, in the in-depth study of the German language in Central Asian countries, will contribute in the future to strengthening traditional cultural, humanitarian and business ties, Udo Philipp emphasized.
Welcoming the audience, the National Leader of the Turkmen people emphasized that this platform will give a powerful impetus to the formation of a new level of economic cooperation between Central Asia and Germany.
The strategically important geographical location of Central Asia, covering an area of about 4 million square kilometers, allows us to talk about the prospects for creating a transport and logistics hub of continental importance here, as well as the opportunity to make a significant contribution to solving the global food problem, said Arkadag Berdimuhamedov.
Speaking about the economic potential of Turkmenistan, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty cited some macroeconomic indicators .
- There are currently about 200 projects under construction in the country with a total cost of almost 10 billion US dollars.
- Turkmenistan’s GDP growth for 8 months of 2023 amounted to 6.2 percent.
- The amount of annual investment in the economy is 18–19% of GDP. At the same time, the share of foreign investment is up to 12% of their total volume.
The course towards industrial and innovative growth is ensured by redirecting over 60% of the total volume of investments into the production sector, which makes it possible to change the entire structure of industry and accelerate the development of import-substituting and export-oriented industries. At the same time, in recent years, a number of investment projects have been implemented in the gas chemical sector of the economy, in particular, new plants for the production of ammonia, urea, polypropylene, polyethylene, and synthetic gasoline have been built.
Continuing his speech, Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov briefly outlined the key areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Germany.
Energy was named among the important areas of cooperation , in which the gas and electric power industries occupy priority positions. The emphasis here is on increasing gas production capacity and expanding a multi-variant gas transportation infrastructure to ensure supplies of Turkmen natural gas to world markets.
It should be especially noted that the European vector has been and remains on the agenda of international energy cooperation of Turkmenistan. In this context, Turkmenistan’s firm position on gas supplies to Europe through the construction of the
“We have done a lot for this in the last 15 years, building a systemic partnership with the European Union, and are ready to resume active contacts with the relevant structures of the European Commission, individual European states and companies in the context of the implementation of large international energy projects”, the National Leader of the Turkmen people said.
Taking this opportunity, Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also invited German business to consider the possibility of working in the electric power industry. In this regard, the areas of joint efforts were identified as the construction and modernization of power plants, the development of a network of power transmission lines and other projects.
At the same time, Turkmenistan pays great attention to the development of such areas as renewable energy sources. Understanding that green energy is the energy of the future, our country is taking practical actions at the national level aimed at promoting projects in the field of solar and wind energy.
As noted, special importance is attached to increasing international cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy.
A pressing topic is interaction with foreign companies and international structures in matters of reducing methane emissions into the atmosphere and utilization of associated gas at hydrocarbon resource fields, emphasized Chairman Khalk Maslakhaty, expressing confidence that the knowledge and best practices possessed by German companies in the above areas will be in demand in Turkmenistan.
Transport and communications have been identified as key areas of cooperation. In this context, having noted with satisfaction that over the course of a number of years, projects to expand the services of the cellular network, satellite systems, and maritime transport have been successfully implemented with the participation of German companies,
The National Leader of the Turkmen people expressed readiness for a substantive discussion with business partners from Germany on the development of railway transport, shipbuilding equipment, the effective use of transport and logistics capabilities of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, and the opening of new forms of interaction in the field of telecommunications.
Along with this, an invitation was announced for German business circles to participate in projects to digitalize the economy of Turkmenistan.
The financial and banking sector is intended to become the leading direction of Turkmen-German cooperation. The developing banking system of Turkmenistan is an important part of the country’s financial sector, and in general in the Central Asian region it is of great importance. At the same time, much attention is paid to establishing and strengthening relations with foreign credit institutions, Arkadag continued, inviting German banks, export credit structures, and insurance organizations to actively develop direct ties with state and commercial banks of the country.
As is known, the lack of water resources is a serious problem in many regions of the world today, which is primarily due to global climate change, large-scale and sometimes uncontrolled economic activities of economic entities of individual states. As noted, Turkmenistan, as a party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement and other multilateral instruments in the field of environmental protection, is firmly committed to fulfilling its international environmental obligations.
In particular, Turkmenistan is taking practical steps aimed at preserving and rationally using water resources. “We see the implementation of these measures in close cooperation with international organizations and foreign states,” said the National Leader of the Turkmen people, inviting German companies to consider the implementation of various projects in the water sector of Turkmenistan, first of all, the megaproject – a comprehensive modernization of the Karakum operational infrastructure -rivers.
Along with this, the existing positive experience of cooperation with German companies in the field of supply of agricultural machinery and equipment to Turkmenistan was noted.
Speaking about the social orientation of the Turkmen economy, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov emphasized that great attention is paid to medicine and healthcare. Dozens of medical institutions have been built, thousands of highly qualified specialists have been trained. And in this matter, we are using the rich experience of our partners from Germany, said Chairman Khalk Maslakhaty.
At the same time, the readiness to strengthen effective interaction with German companies in the areas of production of medical equipment, pharmaceutical industry, development and application of telemedicine methods, and use of the experience of German specialists in such areas as prevention, diagnosis and therapy of various diseases was confirmed.
On June 29 of this year, the opening of the new city of Arkadag took place in Turkmenistan. Today, construction of the second stage of the city has begun, one of the important components of which should be an industrial cluster. Taking into account the “green” content, it is planned to build a number of enterprises in its industrial zone, focused on the production of certain types of products from the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and baby food. In this context, interested German companies were invited to participate in the creation of this cluster.
“I outlined only a few priority areas for the development of interstate cooperation,” Arkadag said, emphasizing that the Turkmen side counts on the strong support and active participation in this activity of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy and its members.
Then there were speeches by the heads of leading German holdings Linde GmbH, GP Günter Papenburg AG, Knauf, Ernst Klett AG, DB Engineering and Consulting, BayWa AG.
The company managers, briefly introducing the activities of the represented business structures, noted their readiness to expand their presence in the promising markets of Central Asian countries, which have a favorable geographical location, a growing market and rich resource potential. In particular, representatives of German companies shared their successful experience of investing in the economies of various countries and presented plans for interaction in the chemical industry, transport sector, construction, production of building materials, education, agro-industrial complex and fuel and energy complex.
Federal Minister for Special Assignments, Head of the Federal Chancellery of Germany Wolfgang Schmidt in his speech noted that relations between Germany and the countries of Central Asia are reaching a qualitatively new level, filled with more specific content. The current high-level meeting is a good opportunity to exchange views on a wide range of issues of six-format cooperation and identify new points for further joint actions.
Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of combining efforts in such current areas as ecology, the formation of a modern transport and transit infrastructure, the introduction of innovations, training of personnel in in-demand specialties, etc.
Meeting of Central Asian leaders with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz – Turkmenistan highlighted four areas of partnership between Central Asia and Germany
The event, held in the format of a business lunch, was attended by National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Having welcomed the distinguished guests, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz noted that the first meeting of this level is a good platform for discussing priority issues of six-party cooperation with a long-term perspective and in the interests of the countries of Central Asia and Germany. He confirmed his country’s readiness to deepen strategic partnership with Central Asian states across the entire spectrum of areas.
In his speech, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov emphasized that today our world is in a zone of political, economic and humanitarian turbulence. Climate change, food security and other challenges are also of particular concern. Solving these and other issues of our time requires each state to take a responsible approach and actively participate in the global dialogue to discuss pressing problems. In this regard, the timeliness and positivity of creating the “Central Asia + Germany” format at a high representative level was noted.
Moving on to specific issues on the agenda, the National Leader of the Turkmen people focused on a number of key topics.
Among the first to be identified was security , which, being a basic need for the life of any society, requires an integrated approach. Its main pillars are the factor of indivisible security and equal interaction through dialogue. At the same time, the main role in ensuring security should be given to the United Nations, Arkadag said, noting that Turkmenistan’s proposal to prepare a Global Security Strategy based on UN norms and principles, voiced during the plenary meeting of the 78th session of the General Assembly, is aimed at developing such an algorithm .
Second , is the creation of conditions for economic development . The most pressing issues here are the provision of energy resources, the creation of transport connectivity, the solution of water and food issues, the synergy of scientific and technological progress with industrial sectors and effective financial and investment mechanisms.
Today we are interested in implementing specific projects with European partners regarding the export of our energy resources , products of the petrochemical and textile industries, agriculture, and other goods, continued the National Leader of the Turkmen people, confirming their readiness to promote the import of high-tech products from Germany, the influx of capital, as well as obtaining technological and digital competencies in the field of industry, science and vocational education.
To solve these and other problems, the need to use the powerful potential of Central Asia as a transcontinental transport and transit hub was stated, as well as the importance of such interregional projects as TRACECA, the Caspian-Black Sea corridor, and others.
Having touched on the topic related to energy flows, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed resuming substantive work with European partners on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project.
The third direction is ecology and “green transformation ”. Based on the fact that the topic of climate change and the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies is at the top of the global agenda, Turkmenistan fully supports the efforts of the world community in this direction, forming the necessary legislative framework, making efforts to introduce low-carbon technologies, carrying out work to join the Global methane obligation.
Among the promising vectors within the framework of the “green” economy, the implementation of projects for the production of hydrogen from natural gas in Turkmenistan is being considered. Today, about 70% of the world’s production of this energy carrier comes from gas, and this is the most effective way to obtain it in terms of financial and material costs.
In the context of carrying out active work on “environmental” challenges, said Chairman Khalk Maslahaty, we remain committed to the provisions of the Joint Declaration on cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Germany in the field of climate and security, adopted in Berlin in January 2020.
Also, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on Turkmenistan’s proposals for the creation of a Regional Center for Technologies related to Climate Change in Central Asia in Ashgabat, as well as for the preparation of the Caspian Environmental Initiative.
Fourth , cultural, social and humanitarian spheres . Arkadag Berdimuhamedov proposed considering the possibility of preparing a medium-term Plan for the development of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Germany in the field of culture and archeology. He confirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness to partner on this track with German organizations, including the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Goethe Institute and the Berlin Museum of New History.
In conclusion, the National Leader of the Turkmen people once again expressed gratitude to the Federal Chancellor for the warm welcome and excellent organization of this visit.
Arkadag Berdimuhamedov and Olaf Scholz discussed issues of Turkmen-German partnership
As part of his visit, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.
“Turkmenistan welcomes Germany’s increased interest in partnership with the countries of Central Asia and is ready to intensify multifaceted cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats,” Arkadag said during the meeting.
The National Leader of the Turkmen people and the Federal Chancellor of Germany confirmed the parties’ interest in bringing the traditional partnership to a new level that meets modern realities.
In this context, the parties discussed the key areas of Turkmen-German cooperation, built with a long-term perspective.
The subject of detailed discussion was political and diplomatic interaction. As you know, alarming events on a global scale are taking place in the world today that can cause serious damage to the world order. In such a situation, as noted, it is important to show political restraint and a responsible approach to solving existing problems. Turkmenistan, being a neutral country, has consistently adhered to this policy since gaining independence.
Being a recognized center of stability in the region, despite the difficult events taking place, our country is pursuing an active foreign policy. The announcement, at the proposal of Turkmenistan, of 2023 as the International Year of Dialogue as a guarantee of peace, and other proposals in the field of peacekeeping are confirmation of our commitment to peace, stability and cooperation, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized.
Expressing gratitude to Germany for the constant support of Turkmenistan’s initiatives, including in the field of neutrality, stable transit of energy resources, transport, environmental issues, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, in turn, confirmed the readiness of Turkmenistan to continue active international partnership with Germany on pressing issues of our time.
Continuing the meeting, the need was emphasized to consider the possibility of preparing a medium-term cooperation program by the foreign ministries of the two countries.
The parties also touched upon Afghan issues. Chairman Khalk Maslahaty emphasized that in order to solve socio-economic problems, it is important to integrate Afghanistan into regional projects, such as the construction of gas pipelines, railways, power lines, and fiber-optic communications.
Another important topic of the dialogue was the interaction between Turkmenistan and Germany in the field of energy.
In particular, they discussed the participation of German companies in the development of the fuel and energy complex of Turkmenistan, including by strengthening the potential of the oil and gas sector by attracting capital and technological competencies from Germany, conducting feasibility studies, providing services, supplying equipment and constructing new objects in this area.
On the Caspian shelf we already have experience of cooperation with large German companies, in particular Wintershall and RWE. Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty confirmed the readiness of Turkmenistan to consider specific proposals from German partners and create the necessary conditions for their successful work in the country.
The National Leader of the Turkmen people announced Turkmenistan’s commitment to the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project and its intention to resume dialogue on this issue with the relevant structures of the European Commission and individual European states, among which Germany, of course, occupies an important place.
Particular attention at the meeting was paid to cooperation in the field of reducing methane emissions and hydrogen production in Turkmenistan. Germany also has advanced technologies in these areas. In this context, an exchange of views took place on the possibilities of interaction taking into account the National Hydrogen Strategy of Germany, adopted in July of this year.
As reported at the meeting, the discussed areas of partnership will be included in the agenda of the 10th meeting of the Turkmen-German working group on economic cooperation, scheduled for the first half of 2024.
The banking sector, chemical and textile industries, healthcare, transport, green technologies, water use, digitalization and consulting were also named among the promising vectors of interaction.
Continuing, the topic of Turkmen-German activities in the fields of education, culture and archeology was touched upon. As you know, in 2018–2019, the exhibition “Margiana – the kingdom of the Bronze Age on the territory of Turkmenistan” was held in Germany.
Taking into account the great interest shown by the German public, questions were raised about the possibility of holding a second cycle of this exhibition, as well as displaying artifacts of the Parthian Kingdom and the heritage of the Seljuk Empire.
At the end of the meeting, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov invited Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan at a time convenient for him. The invitation was gratefully accepted.
Energy, transport, ecology – the key topics of the meeting of Arkadag Berdimuhamedov with the Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection of Germany
As part of his working visit to Germany, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with Deputy Federal Chancellor, Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck.
Habeck expressed gratitude to Berdimuhamedov for participating in the meeting of heads of delegations of Central Asian countries and for Turkmenistan’s interest in developing relations with Germany.
Berdimuhamedov, in turn, noted that the Turkmen delegation included heads of various sectors of the economy and other areas. He also spoke about the past Turkmen-German business forum, at which the parties discussed the prospects for economic cooperation.
During the meeting, key areas of bilateral cooperation were discussed.
In particular, in the energy sector , opportunities are opening up for German companies to participate in projects for the modernization of existing and construction of new facilities of the oil and gas and gas chemical complexes in Turkmenistan, for the development of oil and gas resources on the Caspian shelf, as well as the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
Particular emphasis is placed on the great opportunities available for joint efforts in the field of hydrogen energy and reducing methane emissions. In this context, a proposal was made to develop a Bilateral Energy Cooperation Plan.
In the field of transport , they discussed the creation of continental transport and transit corridors along the Central Asia – Europe line. Arkadag Berdimuhamedov expressed Turkmenistan’s interest in developing partnership in the field of air, land and sea transport.
The possibilities of carrying out work on the comprehensive modernization of the transport infrastructure operating in the country, as well as the creation of joint production of vehicles in Turkmenistan, and the development of a medium-term Cooperation Roadmap were also discussed.
The financial, banking and investment sectors, communications, agriculture and water management, and digitalization were named as promising vectors of interaction.
A separate topic of exchange of views was ecology , where there is good potential for partnership. Today Germany is one of the world leaders not only in the production of “green” technologies, but also an active international player in promoting the global climate agenda. In turn, Turkmenistan is interested not only in acquiring “green” technologies, but also in obtaining German competencies in the matter of rational use of water and land resources, methodology for accounting for the carbon footprint of production and in taking measures to reduce it.
Arkadag invited German experts to take an active part in the development of national strategies of Turkmenistan: “Greenhouse Gas Inventory System”, as well as “Monitoring, Verification and Assessment of CO2 Emissions”.
Continuing the meeting, plans for cooperation on the introduction of renewable energy technologies in Turkmenistan were discussed. Arkadag Berdimuhamedov proposed that the ministries and departments of the two countries responsible for environmental protection and the introduction of “green” technologies hold a round table at the beginning of 2024 in order to develop ways for Turkmen-German partnership on environmental issues.
As part of the meeting, Hero-Arkadag invited Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck to visit Turkmenistan in the near future to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of economics and climate change.
Having accepted the invitation with gratitude, the Deputy Federal Chancellor, Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection of Germany expressed confidence in the further successful development of interstate relations.
Turkmen-German business forum
On the sidelines of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Germany, a Turkmen-German business forum was held in Berlin.
From the Turkmen side, the forum was attended by deputy prime ministers, heads of key ministries and departments, and representatives of private business. The event was hosted by representatives of the leading ministries of Germany, the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, the Federal Union of Small and Medium-sized Businesses and other structures, heads of the largest banks and dozens of companies operating in various fields.
Germany is among the leading business partners of Turkmenistan. To date, 196 investment projects and contracts with the participation of German capital have been registered in Turkmenistan for a total amount of about 1.6 billion US dollars. Representatives of the German business community, including Siemens, Daimler, Claas, Rohde & Schwarz, Dresser-Rand and others, make a significant contribution to the implementation of long-term joint projects.
However, as emphasized, the mutual potential of the two countries can be used more effectively.
In their speeches, representatives of Turkmenistan spoke about major reforms and changes ongoing in various sectors of the economy. Particular attention was paid to the innovative component of economic reforms, the presence of a favorable investment climate and favorable conditions for the activities of foreign companies.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan is ready to provide all opportunities for the activities of German companies in various segments of the economy, and is always open to constructive ideas and proposals, for responsible and reliable partnership.
Managers and representatives of Germany’s largest holdings expressed their readiness to offer their Turkmen partners their advanced developments and innovative technologies in construction, transport, communications and energy sectors, the agro-industrial complex, and the financial and banking sector.
Particular attention was paid to issues of education, science and culture, healthcare, and the tourism industry.
After the break, the work of the business forum continued with the participation of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty.
Arkadag Berdimuhamedov, addressing the forum participants, noted that the Turkmen-German dialogue is actively developing and today covers all main areas.
“The most important priority of relations with Germany is the economy. In the person of German companies, distinguished by high professionalism, responsibility, understanding of mutual benefits and the value of cooperation with Turkmenistan, we see reliable and promising partners,” said the National Leader of the Turkmen people.
“We support and welcome this approach, and we will continue to encourage the activities of German businesses in the Turkmen market,” he added. The long-term and effective activities in Turkmenistan of the German companies Siemens, Daimler, Claas, MAN, Rohde & Schwarz, and a number of others were named as a successful example of fruitful interaction.
However, according to Berdimuhamedov, “we need truly large-scale, breakthrough joint projects that would become the locomotive of economic cooperation.”
In this regard, representatives of German business structures were invited to consider the possibilities of expanding business contacts in specific areas of cooperation.
Energy sector: Arkadag expressed his readiness to discuss the supply of machinery and equipment from German manufacturers for the domestic oil and gas sector, as well as to study the prospects for the introduction of German technologies for the use of solar panels in Turkmenistan and the experience of hydrogen energy in order to create high-tech industries in our country.
Agriculture: As you know, the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan and the Claas company have created a consortium of manufacturers to supply the next batch of agricultural machinery, equipment and spare parts to Turkmenistan. In this regard, the intention of Turkmen specialists was expressed to begin substantive issues of implementing this commercial proposal.
Transport : “Today, our country is undergoing full-scale construction of new transport hubs and corridors – road and rail, and the modernization of aviation and sea port infrastructure is being carried out,” said Chairman Khalk Maslahaty, proposing to organize working meetings on a regular basis between transport departments, associations and companies of the two countries German companies can take part in modernizing the transport infrastructure of Turkmenistan, creating service centers, training transport specialists, etc.
Interest was also expressed in cooperation with the Deutsche Bahn Holding company (railroads), as well as in the field of road and sea transportation, taking into account the competent use of the existing potential in the transport and transit sector and logistics capabilities.
In the field of civil aviation, the possibilities of joint management of airports in Turkmenistan can be explored, including in preparing the appropriate legal framework for the implementation of these projects.
Chemical industry: Arkadag Berdimuhamedov invited German companies to participate in the project for repair and restoration work and partial modernization of the Tejenkarbamid plant in Turkmenistan. For example, a partnership with ThyssenKrupp AG seems promising.
Along with this, the importance of continuing negotiations with German partners on the possible implementation of a new comprehensive project for the development and bringing to full capacity of the Garlyk potash mining complex in Turkmenistan was noted. As is known, in this direction there is active interaction with the German companies ERCOSPLAN, Ka-Utek, SCHACHTBAU.
Taking into account the experience of cooperation in the field of consulting on economic development and attracting investments to our country, the intention was expressed to continue work on creating a legal framework for partnership with interested companies, in particular, with Goetz & Partner.
Water management: Currently, Turkmenistan is considering proposals from German companies regarding participation in the Karakum River renovation project through concreting the bed and side canals, modernizing and expanding pumping stations, and constructing collector drainage systems.
Based on the positive experience of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Germany in the field of economics and finance, it was proposed to sign bilateral documents on the continuation of cooperation in the field of advanced training of management personnel from Turkmenistan.
Green transformation: Turkmenistan and Germany have good opportunities for cooperation with the Eastern Committee of the German Economy. In particular, the parties can cooperate in the field of green transformation, energy, medicine and pharmaceuticals.
Based on the results of meetings with the Eastern Committee, it was proposed to organize a Turkmen-German business forum on November 20, 2023 in Berlin.
The National Leader of the Turkmen people also proposed considering the possibility of creating an “educational green center” in the city of Arkadag, which would include a cluster of the pharmaceutical and medical industries and a vocational educational institution.
Joint Turkmen-German Working Group: To coordinate joint actions on these initiatives, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov continued, considers it appropriate to intensify the activities of the Joint Turkmen-German Working Group on Economic Cooperation and hold its next meeting in Berlin early next year.
“Today, opportunities are opening up for resuming the practice of holding cross Economic Days of Germany and Turkmenistan,” said Chairman Khalk Maslakhaty, proposing to think together about the specific dates and agenda of such meetings.
Most of the initiatives expressed relate to the near future, noted the National Leader of the Turkmen people, confirming Turkmenistan’s focus on long-term, systematic joint work, supported by solid interstate and intergovernmental agreements and understandings between the two countries.
Galkynysh field: Today in Turkmenistan, work is underway to develop the third and fourth stages of the giant Galkynyş gas field, recalled Arkadag Berdimuhamedov. At each stage, it is planned to produce natural gas in the amount of 30 billion cubic meters, and in the future – to increase this figure to 90 billion cubic meters.
Chairman Khalk Maslahaty noted the great contribution of a number of German companies, especially Siemens, to the implementation of projects for the construction of gas turbine power plants and other facilities in which huge investments were made.
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As part of the Turkmen-German business forum, meetings between representatives of the two countries took place, during which they discussed prospects for cooperation and identified areas of interaction.
It was noted that establishing contacts with potential partners will help identify specific areas of cooperation, implement current initiatives and increase the volume of trade turnover.
A number of documents were signed at the forum, including interdepartmental agreements aimed at further expanding the partnership between the foreign policy structures of the two countries, in the transport and communications sector, including shipbuilding, in the field of railway transport, as well as in such areas as management water resources, chemical industry, industry and construction production.
Along with this, contracts were signed between members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and leading companies of the Federal Republic of Germany. ///nCa, September 30, 2023
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