ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a landmark Treaty on Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation for the Development of Central Asia in the 21st Century during Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev’s official visit to Ashgabat on July 1, marking what both sides described as a historic step toward strengthening regional cooperation.
From L to R: Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. Photo credit: MFA.
Kosherbayev was received by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, to whom he conveyed greetings and best wishes on behalf of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
During the meeting, the Kazakh foreign minister reaffirmed Astana’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Turkmenistan, emphasizing that bilateral relations continue to develop in the spirit of good neighborliness, mutual respect and strategic partnership.
Berdimuhamedov welcomed the positive momentum in bilateral ties and underscored the importance of further deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Kosherbayev also briefed the Turkmen President on the implementation of agreements reached at previous high-level meetings. The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues, highlighting the strong level of cooperation within multilateral formats and the importance of strengthening regional collaboration to promote peace and stability in Central Asia.
Ministers discuss trade, investment and regional cooperation
As part of his visit to Ashgabat, Kosherbayev also held talks with Turkmen Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.
The ministers discussed a broad range of bilateral issues, including strengthening political dialogue and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, transport and logistics, energy, education, science, culture and healthcare.
“Turkmenistan is a close brotherly country for us, with whom we are connected by centuries-old ties of friendship and traditions of good neighborliness. Thanks to our joint efforts, interstate relations have reached a qualitatively new level,” Kosherbayev said.
Meredov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness to further expand practical cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral relations.
Bilateral trade continues to grow
Economic cooperation featured prominently on the agenda. According to the ministers, bilateral trade increased by 6.8% during the first four months of 2026 to nearly $180 million. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to increasing bilateral trade to $1 billion.
The ministers also welcomed the outcomes of the 14th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural-Humanitarian Cooperation, held in Astana on June 24, describing it as an important mechanism for advancing joint projects.
Expanding cooperation beyond the economy
The two sides reviewed opportunities to deepen cultural and humanitarian cooperation, with particular attention to education, science, culture and healthcare.
Kosherbayev and Meredov also coordinated positions on regional and international issues, reaffirming their commitment to close cooperation within the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States and other international organizations. They emphasized the importance of joint efforts to strengthen peace, security and sustainable development in Central Asia, as well as continued coordination on Afghanistan.
Kosherbayev wished Turkmenistan success during its chairmanship of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The visit concluded with the signing of a Cooperation Program between the Foreign Ministries of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan for 2027-2028, outlining future diplomatic collaboration between the two countries.
