UK Minister Bolsters Bilateral Ties with Turkmenistan Visit

UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Central Asia, Leo Docherty MP, visited Turkmenistan on 5 July 2023. Minister Docherty conducted several high-level meetings at the Cabinet of Ministers and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During a meeting with Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Meredov, the two men signed a Protocol of Intentions to deepen bilateral relations between the UK and Turkmenistan.

Minister Docherty, said:

I have had a warm and productive meeting with Mr Meredov. We discussed how the UK and Turkmenistan can and are working together to address the global challenges that face us, in particular climate change.

Minister Docherty also met with the Vice Premier responsible for Agriculture and Minster of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan. This meeting identified opportunities for co-operation between the two countries on the reduction of methane emissions and other ways to work towards a more sustainable future.

This was the first UK Ministerial visit to Turkmenistan since 2015 and also Minister Docherty's first visit to the country. The visit was a sign of the growing relationship between the United Kingdom and Turkmenistan, exemplified by the construction of the new British Embassy building in Ashgabat.

At the end of the visit, Minister Docherty thanked the government of Turkmenistan for its warm hospitality and said:

I visited the Memorial Complex to see the monuments to the 1948 earthquake and the heroes of the battle of Gokdepe. I also paid tribute to those from both our countries who died in the fight against Nazism. It reminded me that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Minister Docherty also visited the National Carpet Museum and the Akhal Teke horses at the state stud farm.