BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 18. Turkmenistan and
Japan are exploring projects in the circular economy, marking a new
area of bilateral economic cooperation.
This was reflected in a press release issued by the Embassy of
Turkmenistan in Japan.
According to the press release, the issue was discussed during a
meeting between Turkmen Ambassador to Japan Atadurdy Bayramov and
President of the Japan External Trade Organization ROTOBO Yoshinori
Kanehana.
The sides exchanged views on circular economy projects as part
of their broader economic cooperation.
“Particular attention was paid to preparations for the 16th
meeting of the Turkmen-Japanese Committees for Economic
Cooperation, scheduled to be held in Tokyo on December 14-16,
2026,” the report says.
The upcoming meeting is expected to provide a platform for
discussing further bilateral economic cooperation, including
emerging areas such as the circular economy, the report says.
Meanwhile, Japan and Turkmenistan have also been expanding
cooperation beyond traditional energy and industrial projects. In
December 2025, the two countries joined other Central Asian states
and Japan in the first Central Asia-Japan Summit in Tokyo, where
the sides adopted the Tokyo Declaration and an action plan covering
economic development, connectivity, climate change and human
resource development. The framework has provided an additional
platform for advancing Japanese business engagement in Turkmenistan
and identifying new areas for cooperation.
Japan has also been supporting Turkmenistan through technical
cooperation and capacity building. In 2026, discussions between
Turkmen officials and the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) covered areas including hydrogen energy, digitalization,
healthcare, artificial intelligence, water management and
sustainable development, indicating a gradual broadening of
bilateral economic cooperation beyond large-scale industrial
projects.
Earlier on January 21, Turkmen Ambassador to Japan Atadurdy
Bayramov and Chairman of the Japan-Turkmen Committee for Economic
Cooperation Hiroyuki Tsubai discussed plans for economic
cooperation in 2026, as well as the implementation of joint
projects to further strengthen the bilateral partnership. The
projects include initiatives outlined by the Turkmen president
during the first Central Asia + Japan Dialogue Summit, held in
Tokyo on December 20.
