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US and Turkmenistan hold annual consultations in Ashgabat, with trade, investment and Trans-Caspian links on the agenda

The United States and Turkmenistan held their annual bilateral consultations in Ashgabat on November 3, with trade, investment and Trans-Caspian connectivity at the top of the agenda.

Trend (citing the US State Department) · Nov 3, 2026
Official portrait of S. Paul Kapur, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, in front of a US flag.
S. Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. Photo: U.S. Department of State, public domain (PD-USGov). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Assistant_Secretary_of_State_for_South_and_Central_Asian_Affairs_Samir_Paul_Kapur.jpg

The United States and Turkmenistan held their annual bilateral consultations in Ashgabat on November 3, according to the State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), as reported by Trend.

Assistant Secretary of State S. Paul Kapur and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov co-chaired the talks. The agenda covered trade, investment, Trans-Caspian connectivity, and educational and cultural exchange. "We are building on the vision of the C5+1 Ministerial in Samarkand," Kapur said in a statement published by the bureau. He also thanked Turkmenistan for co-chairing the C5+1 Secretariat in 2025-2026.

Ahead of the visit, the bureau said Kapur would meet business representatives in Ashgabat to discuss ways to expand American investment and commercial activity in Turkmenistan. His trip runs from November 2 to 9 and continues in London, where he is due to meet British officials and regional experts.

Trend noted that the consultations follow several business contacts this year. The Turkmen-American Business Cooperation Association opened in Washington, D.C., on May 7, and its first forum drew more than 50 companies from both countries. On June 4, a business forum in Ashgabat brought together Turkmen officials and a U.S. delegation led by Eric Stewart, Executive Director of the Turkmenistan-U.S. Business Council. Firms present included John Deere, CNH Industrial, Coca-Cola, Palo Alto Networks and Valley Irrigation. Discussions there covered energy, agriculture, transport, industry, finance and high technology.

Source: Trend, https://www.trend.az/casia/turkmenistan/4242487.html