MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH TURKMENISTAN

Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht received on Friday, February 15th, a delegation of Turkmen Ministers, visiting Belgium, headed by Mr. T. Tagiev, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Oil and Gas.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH TURKMENISTAN Brussels, 22nd Febuary 2008 Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht received on Friday, February 15th, a delegation of Turkmen Ministers, visiting Belgium, headed by Mr. T. Tagiev, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Oil and Gas. Since the appointment of President G. Berdymuhamedov on February 14th 2007, Turkmenistan is promoting diversification of its relations with the EU and EU-countries, in all fields of cooperation, including fuel and energy, agriculture, education, health care and social matters. Last December Minister De Gucht assisted at the opening of the UN regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat. At the recent visit of the Turkmen delegation to Belgium (14-17 February), the delegates had the opportunity to visit some Belgian institutions and companies. As a result of the meeting between the Ministers, a Memorandum of Understanding is now being drafted between the two countries, in order to be the framework of future cooperation.