Envoy: Turkmenistan - Romania’s Key Partner in Central Asia

The Embassy of Romania in Turkmenistan has held an event in Ashgabat to celebrate Romania’s National Day.

Turkmen Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov, attended as the guest of honor at the ceremony held in the Yyldyz Hotel, The Caspian Post reports via Turkmen media.

In his address, Romanian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ion Naval emphasized that Turkmenistan is Romania’s key partner in Central Asia. He noted that for 33 years the two countries have strengthened cooperation across many areas - from political dialogue to water management and regional connectivity.

The ambassador highlighted major progress in transport and communications, calling it a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation. He recalled that in early 2025 the two governments signed an agreement to liberalize road transport. Romania became the first EU country to fully open its market to Turkmen transport companies, establishing a reciprocal regime for Romanian carriers.

The ambassador also underscored the development of the Black Sea-Caspian Sea International Transport Route, a joint initiative of Romania, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The 2,500-km intermodal corridor is designed to boost connectivity between Europe and Central Asia. The signing of an intergovernmental agreement on the route's creation and operation is expected soon in Romania.

Speaking about economic cooperation, he stressed Romania’s commitment to promoting its private sector abroad. Romanian companies are showing growing interest in the Turkmen market. Among them are Herbal Therapy Laboratories - one of Eastern Europe’s largest cosmetics and pharmaceuticals producers - which is already active in Turkmenistan, and Chimcomplex, the region’s largest chemical company, which plans to invest in advanced petrochemical projects in the country.

Dialogue is also expanding through the Intergovernmental Joint Commission, co-chaired on the Turkmen side by Astanagulov, and through the energy working group, which held its eighth meeting in Ashgabat in April 2025.

The ambassador noted Romania has significantly increased scholarships for Turkmen students and welcomed broader fields of study - from traditional oil and gas engineering to medicine, biotechnology, and computer science.

The ambassador concluded by congratulating Turkmenistan on the upcoming 30th anniversary of its permanent neutrality, praising the country’s openness to international dialogue and its commitment to peaceful cooperation.