Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Japan held in Ashgabat

On August 30, 2026, a meeting of delegations headed by Rashid Meredov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, who arrived in Ashgabat with a visit, was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state and prospects for the development of Turkmen-Japanese relations in the political-diplomatic, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

It was particularly emphasized that regular contacts at the highest and high levels provide the main impetus for the development of interstate relations. In this context, the importance of the visits of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, the esteemed Hero-Arkadag, and the President of Turkmenistan to Japan was particularly noted.

The Ministers expressed their interest in strengthening practical cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Appreciation was expressed to the Japanese side for its support of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy course of permanent neutrality.

The sides noted the effectiveness of coordinating efforts within international organizations, particularly the United Nations. The importance of partnership in the “Central Asia + Japan” format was also emphasized.

The meeting addressed issues related to trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. The effectiveness of partnership in such areas as the gas-chemical industry, electric power, transport and others was particularly noted. Advanced technologies and artificial intelligence were identified among the promising areas of partnership.

The Japanese side expressed its interest in participating in projects aimed at further diversifying Turkmenistan’s economy. In this regard, the successful participation of a number of Japanese companies in the construction of industrial complexes in Turkmenistan was emphasized, including Sumitomo Corporation, Toyo Engineering Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., ITOCHU Corporation, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

In this context, the sides discussed preparations for the joint meeting of the Turkmen-Japanese and Japanese-Turkmen Committees for Economic Cooperation, scheduled to be held in Tokyo later this year.

In addition, the sides discussed issues related to the further development of cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries, particularly in the field of education.

Following the negotiations, a signing ceremony was held for the Programme of Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for 2027–2029.