On August 30, 2026, a meeting between delegations led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi, who arrived in Ashgabat on a visit, was held at the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects for the development of Turkmen-Japanese relations in political-diplomatic, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian fields.
It was particularly emphasized that regular top-level and high-level contacts provide the main impetus for the development of interstate relations. In this context, the significance of the visits of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, esteemed Arkadag, and the President of Turkmenistan to Japan was specially noted.
The ministers expressed interest in strengthening practical cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Gratitude was expressed to the Japanese side for supporting Turkmenistan's foreign policy course of permanent neutrality.
The parties stated the effectiveness of coordination within international organizations, particularly the UN. The significance of partnership within the "Central Asia + Japan" format was also highlighted.
During the meeting, issues related to trade and economic cooperation between the two countries were discussed. The effectiveness of partnership in areas such as the gas chemical industry, electric power, transport, and others was specially noted. Advanced technologies and artificial intelligence were named among the promising areas of partnership.
The Japanese side expressed interest in participating in projects aimed at further diversifying the economy of Turkmenistan. In this regard, the successful participation of a number of Japanese companies in the construction of industrial complexes in Turkmenistan was emphasized, including "Sumitomo Corporation", "Toyo Engineering Corporation", "Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.", "ITOCHU Corporation", and "Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.".
In this vein, the parties discussed preparations for the joint meeting of the Turkmen-Japanese and Japanese-Turkmen Committees on Economic Cooperation, scheduled to take place this year in Tokyo.
In addition, the parties discussed issues related to the further development of cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries, particularly in the field of education.
At the conclusion of the talks, a signing ceremony was held for the Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for 2027–2029.