BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. Turkmen President
Serdar Berdimuhamedov has identified transport, energy, the digital
economy, and environmental protection as priority areas for
cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD).
The priorities were outlined during Berdimuhamedov’s meeting
with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso in Ashgabat, according to a
press release published by the press service of the Turkmen
government.
“Energy, transport, the digital economy, and environmental
protection are among the main areas of bilateral cooperation,”
Berdimuhamedov said, as quoted in the press release.
According to the report, the president highlighted
Turkmenistan’s efforts to diversify and modernize its economy,
expand export-oriented and import-substituting production, support
private entrepreneurship, and attract investment into key
sectors.
Berdimuhamedov also emphasized the country’s strategic location
for developing multimodal international transport corridors linking
North-South and East-West routes, while noting broad opportunities
for EBRD participation in projects related to green energy,
environmental protection, agriculture, and the efficient use of
water resources.
The president expressed confidence that the EBRD president’s
meetings in Ashgabat would give fresh impetus to bilateral
cooperation and help elevate the partnership to a new level.
For reference, the EBRD has been operating in Turkmenistan since
1992 and has invested about €321 million through 88 projects, with
all current operations focused on the private sector. The bank’s
active portfolio in the country includes support for private
companies, trade finance and financial institutions, while its
strategy prioritizes SME development, logistics, transport services
and the attraction of foreign investment.
The EBRD has consistently positioned private-sector development
as the core objective of its engagement in Turkmenistan. The bank
supports local businesses through partner banks and direct
financing, while also promoting trade integration and investment
projects linked to regional transport corridors, including CAREC
and TRACECA routes.
