On 5-6 December 2024, a delegation of Turkmenistan headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Myakhri Bashimova took part in the 31st meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE Ministerial Council), held in Valletta, Malta.
This key event annually gathers representatives of 57 OSCE member States, and this year it was attended by foreign ministers of more than 30 states. During the two days, plenary sessions and several side events were held.
One of the main topics of discussion was the current security challenges in Europe and Eurasia, as well as issues related to the organization’s activities.
During the meeting, decisions were made on the appointment of heads to key OSCE positions, the Organization’s budget for next year was considered, including other issues related to the work of the OSCE.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Myakhri Bashimova spoke at the plenary session. She stressed the importance of Turkmenistan’s partnership with the OSCE in strengthening regional stability, promoting dialogue and sustainable development. Special attention was paid to Turkmenistan’s initiatives in the political, economic, environmental and humanitarian dimensions.
The head of the Turkmen delegation stated that in recent years Turkmenistan has intensified cooperation with the OSCE in all three dimensions. In the context of the development of international transport infrastructure, Turkmenistan stands for closer cooperation and partnership with all OSCE countries.
In addition, cooperation on environmental issues was highlighted as one of the priorities. In this context, the need to join efforts in this area at the global, regional and national levels, including coordination of actions by each of the nations, was emphasized.
The Turkmen side expressed its readiness to continue cooperation with the OSCE, reaffirming its commitment to the principles of peace, trust and neutrality.
Meeting with the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus
On the sidelines of the 31st meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers, Byashimova held a meeting with Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus Andreas Kakouris.
The sides discussed bilateral relations in the political and diplomatic sphere, including strengthening dialogue between foreign ministries. The fruitful nature of cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the United Nations was noted.
During the meeting, they expressed readiness to enhance the contractual and legal framework of partnership between the two countries in the political, diplomatic, trade and economic spheres.
The parties agreed to work on drafts of relevant Memoranda of Understanding between the foreign ministries for political consultations in the future.
The sides also expressed their readiness to facilitate the establishment of a dialogue between the responsible departments of the two countries on the development of trade and industrial cooperation.
Meeting with the Managing Director of the European External Relations Service for Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the OSCE
Byashimova had a meeting with EEAS Managing Director for Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE, Michael Siebert.
The parties discussed a wide range of issues related to bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The importance of existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Turkmenistan–EU Joint Committee, the human Rights Dialogue and the inter-parliamentary dialogue, was emphasized.
Special attention was paid to strengthening ties between the EU and Central Asia. In this context, the parties touched upon the issue of organizing the next meeting of the EU–Central Asian foreign ministers in Turkmenistan next year.///MFA Turkmenistan, 6 December 2024