Turkmenistan International Relations

Foreign Ministries of Turkmenistan, Great Britain discuss cooperation
The Deputy Administrator of the UK Foreign Office Eastern Europe and Central Asia Group, Beth Dyson, visited Turkmenistan to discuss cooperation with Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry. Dyson will also hold a meeting in Turkmenistan’s National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights to learn about the main aspects of legal reform in the country.
Source: ca-news.org 

Turkmenistan Represented in International Tourism Exhibition in Berlin
Turkmenistan opened its exposition at the International Tourism Exhibition ITB Berlin 2013, one of the largest international tourist forums in the world, to show its potential as a tourist destination.
Source: Turkmenistan.gov.tm  

Turkmenistan Not Included in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index
In early March the World Economic Forum published the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index. Despite billions of dollars invested in the Avaza tourism zone, the construction of five star hotels, and much-publicized rhetoric from the authorities about tourism development, Turkmenistan was not even included in the list of 140 economies. Its neighbors, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, were ranked in the index ranking at 111 and 114, respectively. In comparison with 2011, Azerbaijan moved up from 83rd to 78th, Kazakhstan – from 93rd to 88th, and Iran from 114th to 98th position. Switzerland, Germany and Austria are at the top of the rankings. Among the former CIS countries Estonia has the best rating being at number 30.
Source: Turkmenistan Chronicles  

Istanbul Hosts International Investment Forum of Turkmenistan
Istanbul is hosting Turkmenistan’s International Investment Forum. Representatives of the Turkmen government, international business community, financial institutions, experts, analysts and scientists, non-governmental organizations, and mass media are attending the event. Participants have the opportunity to hear thematic reports and learn about Turkmenistan’s investment policy. According to experts participating in the event, the most attractive areas for investments in the Turkmen economy are construction, transport, electric energy, chemical industry, oil and gas, and tourism.
Source: Turkmenistan.ru  

Turkey will ease restrictions on Turkmen entrepreneurs for their investments in Turkey
Turkey will ease restrictions on Turkmen entrepreneurs investing in Turkey, Development Minister Cevdet Ylmaz said yesterday during the Fifth International Investment Forum of Turkmenistan held in Istanbul. The move will aim to boost two-way investments with Turkmenistan, as Turkey's contractors already make up the largest portion of all worldwide investments in Turkmenistan, at 19 percent. He noted that the total investment value of Turkish firms in Turkmenistan had reached $32 billion with 808 projects, adding that Turkish contractors' investment volume had amounted to about $245 billion since 1972. 

Source: Balkans.com  

Presidents of Turkmenistan and Russia Have Telephone Conversation
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and President of Russia Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone at Russia’s initiative to define priority areas for cooperation including the fuel and energy, trade and economy, transport, urban development, and agriculture sectors. The Turkmen leader invited his Russian counterpart to visit Turkmenistan and Putin accepted the invitation.
Sources: Turkmenistan.ru, trend.az   

Turkmenistan to open embassy in Malaysia and consulate in Germany
Turkmenistan will open an Embassy in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Consulate in Germany (in Frankfurt-am-Main) to expand its relationship with these countries.
Currently Turkmenistan has established diplomatic relations with 131 countries and opened embassies and consulates in 29 countries. Embassies of 30 countries operate in Turkmenistan.
Source: Turkmenistan.ru  

University of Michigan Professor Nancy Songer Visits Turkmenistan
Dr. Nancy Butler Songer, Professor of Science Education and Learning Technologies at the University of Michigan, is visiting Turkmenistan from March 5 – 16 as part of the US Embassy’s celebration of Women’s History Month. While in Turkmenistan, Dr. Songer is conducting a series of workshops and teaching demonstrations focused on integrating technology into science curricula.
Source: US Embassy  

BAM and DanceMotion USA Executives Visit Ashgabat
A US cultural delegation including Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer of Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and Michael Blanco, project director for Dance Motion USA, visited Turkmenistan to meet with representatives of Turkmenistan’s Culture Ministry to discuss possibilities for cooperation, including through Dance Motion USA, a US Department of State cultural program which exposes international audiences to US dance through performance and cultural exchange. Melillo and Blanco met with representatives of Turkmenistan’s National Culture Center, Turkmenistan’s State Culture Institute, and the Pushkin State Russian Dramatic Theater.
Source: Turkmenistan-diaspora.com 

Turkmenistan to Aid Afghan Children in Novruz
Turkmenistan will send humanitarian aid to orphanages and schools in a number of Afghan provinces for the Novruz holiday, celebrated on March 21-22 in Turkmenistan, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) reported. According to a presidential order given to the Ministry of Textile Industries, Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations and the Food Industry Association, aid will include sports uniforms, school notebooks, and confectioneries.
Source: Turkmenistan-diaspora.com