On 27 March, a meeting was held at the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port between the leadership of Turkmenistan’s State Service for Maritime and River Transport and the port administration, and a European Union delegation led by Charlotte Adriaen, Head of the Central Asia and Afghanistan Unit. This was reported by the online publication ‘Business Turkmenistan’.

The parties discussed the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and the strengthening of the port’s strategic role. The European delegation was shown the port’s modern facilities, cargo flow routes and European-made equipment.

Discussions covered projects at the ‘Balkan’ shipbuilding and ship repair yard, international tenders for new vessels, and Turkmenistan’s steps towards acceding to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) FAL Convention to streamline maritime transport.

The Turkmen side noted the procurement of new dredgers and the construction of similar vessels at the ‘Balkan’ shipyard. Charlotte Adriaen emphasised the strategic importance of the port as a key hub in international transport corridors.