Improving national legislation, sharing parliamentary experience, and developing professional contacts were the main topics of the meeting between Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan Dunyagozel Gulmanova and US Chargé d'Affaires Christine Hawkins, Orient.tm reported.
The parties paid special attention to the Open World program, through which representatives of the Turkmen parliament undertake study visits and internships in the United States. Funded by the US Congress, the program allows them to learn about American experience in public administration, digitalization of parliamentary activity, and the legislative process.
Gulmanova expressed gratitude to the American side for organizing the professional programs and advocated for the continuation of joint projects.
For Turkmenistan, developing such contacts is important primarily for the modernization of public administration and the professional development of parliamentarians.
At the same time, cooperation remains primarily institutional and educational, consistent with Ashgabat's cautious approach to interaction with Western countries.
For the US, parliamentary programs, in turn, create a channel for soft power and allow for strengthening expert ties with Turkmenistan without going beyond its foreign policy principles.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 9, 2026