Kazakh, Turkmen Foreign Ministries sign two-year Cooperation Program
During an official visit to Ashgabat, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev met with Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation, Qazinform News Agency reports via the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership, with a focus on political dialogue, trade, investment, transport, energy, and cultural ties. Kosherbayev described Turkmenistan as a "close brotherly nation," highlighting the strong relationship built through longstanding friendship and cooperation.
Bilateral trade rose by 6.8 percent in the first four months of 2026 to nearly 180 million US dollars, and both sides reiterated their goal of increasing annual trade to 1 billion US dollars. The ministers also welcomed the outcomes of the 14th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific-Technical, and Cultural Cooperation held in Astana in June.
The discussions covered expanding cooperation in education, science, culture, and healthcare, as well as coordinating positions on regional and international issues through the United Nations, the CIS, and other organizations. They also stressed the importance of promoting peace, security, and sustainable development in Central Asia, including cooperation on Afghanistan.
Following the talks, the two countries signed a Cooperation Program between their foreign ministries for 2027-2028, reaffirming their commitment to closer long-term cooperation.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are to expand consular protection cooperation.
