Turkmenistan and the EU Prepare a Package of Documents to Expand Partnership: Brussels Awaits Berdimuhamedov’s Visit
Turkmenistan and the European Union are preparing a package of bilateral documents intended to expand cooperation between Ashgabat and Brussels. This was revealed at a press briefing dedicated to the results of the parties’ interaction and cooperation plans for 2026, reports Azerbaycan24. Turkmen state media also disseminated the information.
According to the released data, the parties are also preparing for the visit of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, to Brussels. The visit includes planned meetings with the leadership of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, and relevant European Commissioners.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova stated that a package of documents in key areas of cooperation will be formed for the negotiations. Among the priority topics are political dialogue, energy security, education, and youth programs.
Focus on Energy and Gas: Europe Looks at Turkmenistan Again
A separate emphasis in the discussion was placed on energy security: it is this point that remains the primary interest of the European Union in relations with Turkmenistan. Against the background of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the EU’s desire to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources, Brussels is intensifying contacts with Central Asian countries.
Turkmenistan, which possesses some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, regularly appears in European discussions as a potential supplier capable of diversifying the energy market. However, in practice, the implementation of major projects, including gas supplies to Europe, remains a complex and politically sensitive topic, primarily due to the closed nature of the Turkmen regime and the lack of transparency in the energy sector.
Education and Youth Programs: A Beautiful Showcase or a Real Chance?
The official agenda also features education and youth programs. The European side traditionally promotes the expansion of academic exchanges, professional internships, and mobility programs.
However, critics note: Turkmenistan remains one of the most closed countries in the world, where young people face restrictions on travel, censorship, the absence of independent universities, and total state control over information. In this context, statements about “expanding youth opportunities” look more like a diplomatic decoration than a real mechanism for improving the situation.
Murad Kurbanov’s Position: “The EU is Again Engaging in Dialogue with the Regime, Not the People”
The popularly elected President of Turkmenistan and leader of the People’s Movement “Democratic Choice of Turkmenistan,” Murad Kurbanov, sharply criticized the EU’s plans to expand its partnership with Ashgabat without public conditions regarding human rights and democratic reforms.
According to him, Europe risks repeating an old mistake where economic interests are placed above principles, and negotiations are conducted with a government that has suppressed its own people for decades.
“When European politicians talk about ‘partnership,’ they must understand that Turkmenistan today is not a state in the classical sense. It is a closed authoritarian system where citizens have no right to choice, freedom of speech, free media, a fair trial, and even the right to travel freely abroad,” Kurbanov stated.
He emphasized that any agreements with the current government of Turkmenistan are essentially concluded not with society, but with a narrow group of people controlling resources, money, and security structures.
“Documents Will Be Signed, but Who Will Be Responsible for Their Execution?”
Kurbanov also drew attention to a systemic problem: the Turkmen government often signs international documents, memorandums, and declarations, but then either ignores them or turns them into a propaganda image for the internal audience.
“Serdar Berdimuhamedov can sign dozens of documents. But in Turkmenistan, there is no parliamentary control, no independent courts, no free press. And that means there are no mechanisms of accountability. The regime signs papers because it needs status, legitimacy, and access to resources. But it does not intend to change the system,” the opposition leader declared.
The EU is Interested in Gas, but Europe Should Ask Where the People’s Money Is
The energy portion of the negotiations causes particular outrage among the opposition. According to Kurbanov, Europe views Turkmenistan primarily as a source of gas but turns a blind eye to the fact that profits from natural resources do not go toward the country’s development. He reminded that Turkmenistan, despite huge revenues from gas exports, remains a country with mass poverty, food shortages, problems in healthcare, and the actual destruction of the social sphere.
“Europe should ask: where is the money from the gas? Why, with such resources, does the population live in poverty? Why have wages not grown for years? Why do people stand in lines for bread? Why are thousands of citizens forced to flee the country?” Kurbanov emphasized.
Opposition representatives believe that Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Brussels and the preparation of the document package could become a tool for the international legitimization of the regime. According to Kurbanov, the Turkmen authorities seek to use Europe as a “showcase,” demonstrating seemingly normal diplomatic relations to the outside world, while inside the country, repressions, pressure on citizens, persecution of independent voices, and total control continue.
“The regime is trying to buy respect with diplomatic visits and photographs in European offices. But respect is earned not by protocol, but by the treatment of its own citizens,” he stated.
What the EU Should Demand from Turkmenistan: The Opposition’s Position
Murad Kurbanov stated that any expansion of cooperation with Turkmenistan must be accompanied by clear and public conditions, including:
- the release of political prisoners and the cessation of the practice of disappearances;
- access for independent media and international human rights organizations;
- the abolition of travel restrictions for citizens;
- the cessation of persecution of relatives of oppositionists;
- transparency of gas export revenues and budget control;
- real judicial reform and an end to the arbitrariness of security forces.
According to him, only in this case can the partnership become a tool for change, rather than another deal that strengthens the authoritarian system.
The preparation of a package of bilateral documents and a possible visit of Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Brussels could become one of Turkmenistan’s largest foreign policy episodes in recent years.
However, for the European side, this is also a test of consistency: will the EU conduct relations with Ashgabat as a normal partner for the sake of energy interests, or will it demand real steps toward human rights, transparency, and democratization.
The opposition of Turkmenistan warns: without a principled position, Europe risks not strengthening stability in the region, but consolidating the impunity of the regime, which for decades has used the country’s resources in the interests of a narrow circle of people, leaving the people in poverty and fear.
