Turkmenistan Eyes EU Partnership Amidst Energy Talks

Turkmenistan's President plans an official visit to Brussels concerning a longstanding partnership agreement with the EU. Discussions will cover energy, including potential green energy imports. Turkmenistan, with vast gas and solar resources, aims to diversify exports beyond China amidst ongoing human rights concerns delaying EU partnership ratification.

Turkmenistan's president is set to embark on an official visit to Brussels as dialogues continue within the European Parliament regarding the ratification of a long-suspended partnership agreement with the Central Asian nation, confirmed the EU ambassador to Ashgabat.

In a briefing alongside Turkmenistan's deputy foreign minister, EU ambassador Beata Peksa highlighted that although the official date for President Serdar Berdymukhamedov's visit remains undecided, energy dialogue is a primary agenda item. Turkmenistan, predominantly desert land with a population of 7 million, possesses the fourth-largest gas reserves globally and is eager to expand its export partnerships beyond China.

Aiming to import green energy, the EU acknowledges Turkmenistan's significant solar energy potential, as reported by the Asian Development Bank in 2022. Infrastructure projects across the Caspian Sea are necessary for such endeavors. Peksa also hopes for progress on a long-stalled Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Turkmenistan, the only post-Soviet state yet to formalize an EU partnership, primarily delayed due to human rights concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)