Working Visit of the Consul of Turkmenistan to the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia

As part of the working visit of the Consul of Turkmenistan to the Federal Republic of Germany (Frankfurt am Main) on March 17–18, 2025, Murad Ozbekbayev visited the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a wide range of issues related to bilateral and interregional cooperation were discussed.

During the visit to Düsseldorf, a meeting was held with Mark Speich, State Secretary for Federal Affairs, Europe, and International Affairs, as well as the Authorized Representative of North Rhine-Westphalia at the federal level.

During the meeting, the parties addressed the development of bilateral relations and explored opportunities for closer interaction at the regional level. The German politician emphasized the importance of advancing cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Central Asian countries, particularly Turkmenistan, within the frameworks of «CA-EU» and «CA-Germany». The German side also showed particular interest in issues of energy security and the establishment of transport and logistics chains.

The prospects for organizing joint events in the economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres within this federal state were also discussed.

Furthermore, the leadership of the government of North Rhine-Westphalia was briefed on the objectives of international events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality and the designation of 2025 as the «International Year of Peace and Trust».

An exchange of views was also held on current aspects of regional and international politics.

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Additionally, during the visit, negotiations took place between the Consul and Andreas Schmitz, President of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), as well as Aaron Röschke, Head of the International Markets and Trends Department of the Düsseldorf CCI.

During the negotiations, the parties expressed their interest in increasing direct contacts between chambers of commerce and industry, economic associations, and business representatives from Turkmenistan and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Energy, chemical and medical industries, mechanical engineering, and the green economy were identified as promising areas for cooperation.

Based on the positive experience of the Turkmenistan Economic Day held in Düsseldorf in June 2023, the Düsseldorf CCI, which comprises approximately 95,000 companies and private entrepreneurs, supported further strengthening of ties with Turkmenistan’s business community.

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Furthermore, in Cologne, the Consul met with the leadership of the «Türkmen kultur ojagy» organization, during which the significance of Turkmenistan’s annual motto, «International Year of Peace and Trust», as well as the 30th anniversary of the country's permanent neutrality, was discussed.

In this regard, the participants outlined plans for organizing joint cultural events and informational-educational initiatives throughout the year, dedicated to this milestone anniversary. These activities include efforts to promote the rich historical heritage and culture of Turkmenistan among the Turkmen diaspora in Germany.

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As part of the working visit to Bonn, a meeting was held with Stefan Binefeld, Head of the Department of Transnational Education and Cooperation Programs, and Heiko Schmidt, Head of the Scholarship Programs Department for Northern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The main focus of the negotiations was the search for ways to expand Turkmen-German cooperation in the field of education, academic exchanges, and direct inter-university contacts.

A detailed exchange of views took place on the current state and prospects of scientific and educational cooperation, particularly on increasing DAAD scholarship quotas for graduates, postgraduate students, and faculty members of Turkmen universities and research institutions. The discussion also covered the expansion of the DAAD network of German language lecturers in Turkmenistan and the introduction of new German language teaching methodologies in the country.

In this context, the parties considered the possibility of holding a Turkmen-German Science Day in Turkmenistan, as well as organizing reciprocal visits of scientific and educational delegations.