Visit of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to Romania

On July 18, 2024, political consultations were held in Bucharest between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Romania. The Turkmen side was headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov, and the Romanian side by State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania Ana Tinca.

An in-depth and interested dialogue took place on all key areas of the bilateral agenda, including issues of political and diplomatic interaction, trade-economic and cultural-educational partnership. The parties also exchanged views on regional and international issues.

The heads of delegations noted the importance of maintaining regular contacts at a high level, which gives significant impetus to bilateral cooperation.

It was also agreed to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Bucharest. In this context, the parties noted significant prospects for cooperation in the field of energy, information technology, water management and other areas.

On the same day, A. Gurbanov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Luminita Odobescu. During the meeting, the parties noted with satisfaction the very high level of Turkmen-Romanian partnership in all areas of bilateral cooperation and exchanged congratulations on the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which is celebrated on July 21. The importance of the Action Plan between the Foreign Ministries of Turkmenistan and Romania for 2024-2025, which was signed by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries in October 2023 in Luxembourg, was noted.

On the same day, A.Gurbanov met with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania Adrian Gheorghe Fogis. As part of detailed negotiations, the interlocutors discussed the implementation of previously reached agreements in the context of the activities of bilateral working groups in the field of transport, as well as the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in the transit and transport field, including within the framework of the «Global Gateway» initiative. The parties confirmed their intention to prepare for signing in 2024 in Bucharest a quadripartite (Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania) intergovernmental Agreement on the creation of an international transport route «Caspian Sea – Black Sea».

On July 19, 2024, A.Gurbanov met with the State Secretary of the Ministry of National Education of Romania Gigel Paraschiv. During the meeting, the exemplary level of cooperation between the two countries in the field of education was noted, as well as ways for its further development, including cooperation between universities of the two countries. The Turkmen side expressed gratitude to Romanian side for providing Turkmen youth with quotas to study at universities in Romania. The parties also agreed to explore the possibility of opening a specialty «Romanian language» in one of the higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan in 2025.

On the same day, A.Gurbanov met with the Chairman of the «Romania – Turkmenistan» Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament Karoly Kolcsar. Issues of further intensifying interparliamentary cooperation became the subject of discussion at the meeting. During the negotiations, the parties confirmed the importance of continuing the practice of organizing mutual visits of parliamentarians of the two countries, and emphasized the importance of the activities of the «Turkmenistan – Romania» Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, which has been operating since 2017.

Speaking about cultural cooperation, the Romanian side expressed special gratitude for the installation of a monument to the famous Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu in the «Magtymguly Fragi» cultural and park complex in Ashgabat.

During his visit to Romania, A.Gurbanov also met with Turkmen students studying at universities in Romania.