Today, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal welcomed a delegation of Turkmenistani government officials led by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov for the fourth U.S-Turkmenistan Annual Bilateral Consultations. The Annual Bilateral Consultations, which were established in 2009, are a structured policy dialogue designed to build mutual trust and advance our common agenda and opportunities for cooperation across the full range of bilateral and regional issues. Within the framework of these consultations, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted Foreign Minister Meredov to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller hosted the U.S. and Turkmenistani delegations for a luncheon meeting in honor of Foreign Minister Meredov which focused on regional security and energy issues.

During the consultations, participants discussed all aspects of the U.S.-Turkmenistan relationship, including political developments, regional stability and security, human rights and labor, religious freedom, education, cultural cooperation and exchanges, and economic development and trade. The United States looks forward to broadening and deepening its relationship with Turkmenistan on the basis of these candid and constructive conversations.

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