UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Central
Asia, , visited Turkmenistan on 5
July 2023. Minister Docherty conducted several high-level
meetings at the Cabinet of Ministers and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
During a meeting with Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Mr Meredov, the two men signed a Protocol of Intentions
to deepen bilateral relations between the UK and Turkmenistan.
Minister Docherty, said:
I have had a warm and productive meeting with Mr Meredov. We
discussed how the UK and Turkmenistan can and are working
together to address the global challenges that face us, in
particular climate change.
Minister Docherty also met with the Vice Premier responsible for
Agriculture and Minster of Agriculture and Environmental
Protection of Turkmenistan. This meeting identified opportunities
for co-operation between the two countries on the reduction of
methane emissions and other ways to work towards a more
sustainable future.
This was the first UK Ministerial visit to Turkmenistan since
2015 and also Minister Docherty’s first visit to the country. The
visit was a sign of the growing relationship between the United
Kingdom and Turkmenistan, exemplified by the construction of the
new British Embassy building in Ashgabat.
At the end of the visit, Minister Docherty thanked the government
of Turkmenistan for its warm hospitality and said:
I visited the Memorial Complex to see the monuments to the 1948
earthquake and the heroes of the battle of Gokdepe. I also paid
tribute to those from both our countries who died in the fight
against Nazism. It reminded me that there is more that unites us
than divides us.
Minister Docherty also visited the National Carpet Museum and the
Akhal Teke horses at the state stud farm.
