Turkmenistan Intends to Develop Cooperation with the IAEA

Turkmenistan plans to strengthen its ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, reported to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov during an online government meeting held on Friday. According to Turkmenistan’s official media, Rashid Meredov proposed signing the IAEA Country Programme Framework for Turkmenistan for 2025–2029, which would allow for a systematic approach to key areas of bilateral cooperation. He also announced an initiative for Turkmenistan to accede to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which came into force in 1960. In this context, Meredov proposed organizing the participation of a high-level Turkmen delegation in the 69th session of the IAEA General Conference, scheduled to take place from September 15 to 19 in Vienna. In addition, Turkmenistan received a special invitation from the IAEA Director General to attend a forum on the use of nuclear science in water resource management, which will be held within the framework of the conference. The President was also presented with a proposal to hold a joint regional training seminar in Ashgabat in cooperation with the IAEA on safety standards for nuclear and other radioactive materials. The event is planned to take place from November 10 to 14 this year. Furthermore, an IAEA delegation is expected to visit Turkmenistan from September 8 to 13 as part of the implementation of the ImPACT program, aimed at assessing joint actions in the field of cancer treatment. This initiative is being carried out in cooperation with the IAEA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that strengthening cooperation with international organizations remains one of the priorities of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. In this regard, he instructed the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to continue work on further developing the partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency.