Uzbek President Meets Turkmen Leader Ahead of Regional Talks

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan met with Turkmenistan’s National Leader and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, during a visit to the city of Turkmenbashi.

At the start of the meeting, President Mirziyoyev warmly congratulated Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on the successful organisation of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, stressing the importance of the issues discussed for sustainable development in the region.

The two leaders reviewed progress on strengthening bilateral ties, following up on agreements made during their April meeting in Samarkand. They noted with satisfaction the steady growth in cooperation, grounded in friendship, trust and mutual interest.

Trade between the two countries has reached $600 mln since the start of the year. Joint initiatives are expanding across industry, energy, transport, agriculture and water management.

Work is underway on the new «Shavat–Dashoguz» border trade zone. Regional and cultural exchanges are also increasing.

Ahead of upcoming high-level meetings, the sides plan to convene intergovernmental commissions, a business council, regional forums and cultural events.

They also exchanged views on the outcomes of the UN conference and preparations for the seventh Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Leaders, scheduled for autumn in Tashkent.

Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan imported a record amount of natural gas from Russia and Turkmenistan in the first half of 2025.