Turkmenistan, Switzerland see prospects for cooperation in energy, transportation
By Abdul Kerimkhanov
From a geographical, energy, logistic and transport, trade and even political point of view, Turkmenistan should be seriously considered in the context of the initiative to revive the new Silk Way, the official website of the oil and gas complex of Turkmenistan.
There are three important events that occurred in Turkmenistan in 2017-2018, which allow Turkmenistan to become a valuable participant in the new Silk Road and an attractive investment, trading and business partner for European and Swiss companies. Among them are the opening of the modernized International Sea Port in Turkmenbashi in May 2018, the adoption of the law of Turkmenistan on free economic zones in October 2017 and the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea on August 12, 2018.
Taking into account these events, new prospects are opening up for Swiss business in Turkmenistan.
The international sea port in Turkmenbashi, one of the largest in the Caspian Sea, claims to become an important link between Europe, the Middle East, the Black Sea region, South and Southeast Asia. It is intended to intensify the development of trade not only from Turkmenistan but also from landlocked neighboring countries - Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
The Turkmenbashi port acquired a number of new facilities, including a shipyard, a ferry and passenger terminal, a container terminal, a general cargo terminal, a bulk cargo terminal, and a polypropylene terminal.
The Law on Free Economic Zones (FEZ), signed on October 10, 2017, by the President of Turkmenistan, opens the way to creating safe, transparent and competitive legal, tax and business conditions for attracting foreign companies and investors to Turkmenistan.
It is a fact that the Caspian Treaty eliminates legal barriers to the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
Officially, bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and the Swiss Confederation date back to May 8, 1992, when the Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations was signed. The Embassy of Turkmenistan operates in Switzerland, as well as the Permanent Mission at the UN Office in Geneva.
Turkmenistan and Switzerland are building their foreign policy with regards to their continued commitment to the principles of permanent neutrality. At the same time, both countries are adapting their neutrality to new international conditions, actively speaking in support of the interested political dialogue, which does not accept any violent measures or any kind of aggression.
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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94
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