The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, who is on a working visit to Vienna, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, on Monday, March 11. During the negotiations, a cooperation agreement was signed between the two foreign ministries for 2024/25, which provides for regular political consultations, including on the topics of Afghanistan, the fight against terrorism, organized crime and illegal migration.

Schallenberg noted the growing geopolitical importance of the Central Asian region, which is the connecting link between Europe and Asia not only geographically, but also from the point of view of global security. The location of Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea also makes it an indicator of regional development for us, the Austrian minister said.

The discussion centered on the situation in Afghanistan, especially in the fight against terrorism, organized crime and illegal migration. Turkmenistan and Afghanistan share a border of more than 800 km, and about three million Turkmens live in Afghanistan. There are regular contacts between Turkmenistan and the de facto Taliban government on security and humanitarian issues. The need for dialogue is also driven by real economic interests, such as the TAPI gas pipeline, which should connect Turkmenistan with Pakistan and India through Afghanistan.

The expansion of trade and investment ties between Turkmenistan and Austria was also discussed. Austrian companies could provide extensive experience in infrastructure expansion, in the field of mechanical engineering and industrial equipment, as well as in the healthcare sector.

In particular, during his visit to Vienna, Rashid Meredov and members of the Turkmen delegation on March 12 will take part in a business event - a round table with Austrian companies.

It was also discussed that the next bilateral meeting of the Joint Economic Commission is planned to be held in June.

Schallenberg called on his Turkmen counterpart to make greater use of the OSCE as a common platform for dialogue.