Ashgabat, 14 December 2023: On December 13-14, 2023, as part of the joint project between UNDP and the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, “Partnering for SDG acceleration. Phase II", an international UNDP expert, Mr. Maxim Medvedkov, Advisor to the WTO Expertise Center, visited Ashgabat.

On December 13, UNDP jointly with the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan organized working meetings with the heads of ministries and departments of the country to discuss the issues related to preparation of Turkmenistan to WTO accession. During the meetings, issues of harmonization of national and international legislation based on WTO agreements, as well as bringing procedures and standards in line with international requirements were discussed. The issues related to the best practices in using the WTO membership to gain leading positions in the field of agriculture, trends in the field of green economy, telecommunications, as well as the involvement of business circles in the negotiation process were also raised. 

As part of the visit, a Round Table was organized at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan with the participation of the international experts and representatives of Turkmenistan's ministries and departments. During the Round Table, Mr. Medvetkov presented the report "Turkmenistan's Accession to the WTO: Analysis of Institutional Frameworks" and provided consultations on preparing the Memorandum on Trade Regime, the sequence, and the nature of further actions for WTO accession. He also shared the best practices in involving business circles in negotiations.