Ashgabat, July 1, 2026 – As part of his official visit to Ashgabat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev held talks with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov.

During the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed a broad range of issues related to Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan cooperation, including further strengthening political dialogue and expanding collaboration in trade, investment, transport and logistics, energy, as well as cultural and humanitarian affairs.

The sides reaffirmed their commitment to further developing the strategic partnership, emphasizing that regular contacts at the highest and high levels remain instrumental in strengthening bilateral relations.

“Turkmenistan is a close brotherly nation for Kazakhstan, bound to us by centuries-old ties of friendship and good-neighborliness. Thanks to our joint efforts, interstate relations have reached a qualitatively new level,” said the Kazakh Foreign Minister.

For his part, Minister Meredov reaffirmed the Turkmen side’s readiness to further expand practical cooperation across the entire bilateral agenda.

The development of trade and economic cooperation was among the key topics of the talks. The ministers noted that bilateral trade increased by 6.8% in the first four months of 2026, reaching approximately 180 million US dollars. In line with the instructions of the Heads of State, the parties confirmed their commitment to increasing bilateral trade to 1 billion.

The ministers highly praised the outcomes of the 14th Meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific-Technical, and Cultural Cooperation, held in Astana on June 24, highlighting its important role in advancing joint projects.

The parties also discussed prospects for expanding cultural and humanitarian cooperation as an important foundation for long-term bilateral relations. Particular attention was given to enhancing cooperation in education, science, culture, and healthcare.

The ministers also exchanged views on current regional and international issues, reaffirming their readiness to continue close coordination within the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and other international organizations. Particular emphasis was placed on joint efforts to promote peace, security, and sustainable development in Central Asia, as well as cooperation on issues related to Afghanistan.

Minister Kosherbayev wished the Turkmen side every success during Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The parties expressed their readiness to continue working together to further strengthen their strategic partnership.

Following the talks, the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan for 2027–2028 was signed.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/1251758?lang=ru