A meeting with the WHO delegation took place at the MFA of Turkmenistan

On November 15, 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov had a meeting with the delegation of the World Health Organization (WHO) led by Regional Emergency Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Dr. Dorit Nitzan.

The sides discussed a broad range of issues concerning further realization of the agreements reached during the meeting of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr.Hans Kluge.

The parties exchanged views on the draft of the Road map of Turkmenistan-WHO cooperation, discussed the issues of the arrangement of regular high-level meetings aimed at acceleration of implementation of joint agreements. In this context, the important role of Inter-agency working group in proposing and reconciliation of various aspects of cooperation was noted.

During the meeting R.Meredov made suggestions on a number of initiatives of the Turkmen side. Among them is the creation of Central Asian Regional Center of Epidemiology, Virology and Bacteriology and a decision on the construction in Turkmenistan Research and Production Center of Epidemiology, Virology and Bacteriology.

The proposal of the Regional Director H.Kluge regarding the concept of ”One Health Care” while planning and promoting the project of the Regional Center of Epidemiology as well as the proposals on the improvement of activities of the primary health care unit and the development of information base of the health service and “digital medicine” were discussed.

As R.Meredov noted, Turkmenistan supports the activity of Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development (Monti Commission), convened by the initiative of WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr.Hans Kluge in September of 2020, having joined to the Call to action voiced by the Commission in March 2021.

At the end of the meeting the Minister expressed confidence that the current visit of the WHO high-level delegation will further promote and strengthen cooperation between Turkmenistan, World Health Organization and Regional Office for Europe of the WHO.