OSCE Secretary General to meet Foreign Ministers of Central Asia in Turkmenistan

VIENNA, 30 October 2023 - OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid will visit Turkmenistan on 31 October for meetings with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OSCE's Central Asian participating States and other high-level officials.

In Ashgabat, the Secretary General will attend the “Forum of the OSCE Secretary General and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asia Countries”, organized and hosted by the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan. The high-level strategic discussion will focus on the complex challenges the region is facing, such as border security risks, the far-reaching implications of climate change and the opportunities strengthened connectivity can bring to the whole region.

The meeting will offer a platform to lay out key opportunities for Central Asian participating States for enhancing their regional co-operation to address these challenges and discuss how the OSCE can support these efforts.

During her visit, Secretary General Schmid will also meet with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, the Minister of Environmental Protection Charygeldi Babaniyazov, and other stakeholders.