Antony Blinken and Rashid Meredov mull security issues

The Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov in Washington to discuss the United States-Turkmenistan bilateral partnership and the areas of cooperation addressed during today’s Annual Bilateral Consultations, stated Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, Report informs.

"Secretary Blinken opened the meeting by highlighting the United States’ unwavering support for Turkmenistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. The Secretary underscored the critical importance of reducing methane emissions to combat the climate crisis and outlined opportunities to work with Turkmenistan to rapidly reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Meredov discussed cultural and educational partnerships as well as improving respect for human rights and labor rights in Turkmenistan. They spoke about efforts to promote and protect the rights of Afghan women and girls. They also discussed regional developments, security cooperation, and partnering on economic opportunities," the statement reads.