Under the leadership of our esteemed President, work on large-scale economic reforms, the development of international economic ties, and active integration into the global economic system has entered a new phase. In this context, one of the priority areas of Turkmenistan's foreign economic policy has become the country's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In this regard, on May 25–26, 2026, as part of the joint project "Turkmenistan: Trade Stability and Integration," remote videoconferences were held with the participation of faculty and students from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Turkmenistan, leading experts in this field from the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, and experts from the UN International Trade Center (ITC). The event, organized by ITC, was aimed at developing Turkmenistan's international relations and enhancing the skills of civil servants in foreign economic relations. The seminar's main topic was "The World Trade Organization and Accession Negotiations," and the fact that Turkmenistan's interaction with the World Trade Organization has acquired new significance and content in recent years has significantly intensified. Examples were given of targeted efforts to harmoniously integrate the country into the global economy, implement modern principles in international trade relations, improve the foreign trade system, and align national legislation with international standards and WTO norms.
As is known, Turkmenistan received observer status at the WTO in 2020. In 2021, our country officially submitted an application for membership. In 2022, the WTO General Council granted it host country status, and a Working Party on Turkmenistan's accession to the organization was established within the WTO Secretariat. Turkmenistan's WTO membership will not only strengthen the country's role in international economic cooperation but also create broad conditions for enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy, expanding export opportunities, and attracting foreign investment. This work is crucial for ensuring the openness of the national economy, developing the private sector, and strengthening modern market relations.
The training was led by Pieter Van den Bosch, a world-renowned expert in international economic law and professor at Xi'an Xia tong University. The first day of the training covered the topics "The Collapse of International Trade and the Multilateral Trading System in 2026" and "The World Trade Organization and Its Main Tasks." A comprehensive overview of the current state of trade, the causes of uncertainty in international trade, the history of the WTO, its role as a negotiating forum, dispute resolution system, and trade policy review mechanism were presented. The primary practical focus was on a detailed analysis of the WTO's core rules. These include the principles of most-favored treatment and national treatment, as well as the legal and economic nuances of ensuring access for foreign goods and services to domestic markets.
On the second day of the training, Peter Van den Bosch led the third section, "Overview of WTO Rules." This section provided extensive information on market access, tariff levels on goods, obligations on services, as well as the WTO's core principles of most-favored nation and national treatment. Participants also completed a practical training course on changes in trade policy. Also during the seminar, a staff member from the International Trade Center presented the topic "The Benefits of WTO Accession and Membership." He covered in detail the stages of WTO accession, the three main negotiating areas, as well as the opportunities for membership and the challenges that arise.
Conducting such kind of seminars contributes to the development of civil servants' qualifications and the development of an expert base for Turkmenistan's successful integration into the global economic system and the protection of national interests in international trade arenas. Such initiatives will make a significant contribution to the implementation of the country's sustainable development strategy and enhance its competitiveness.