Italy and Turkmenistan further enhance bilateral cooperation

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow paid an official visit to Italy on 24 and 25 October, demonstrating the mutual interest of both nations in deepening political, diplomatic, and economic relations aimed at pursuing shared goals and objectives in foreign and energy policy. On the Italian side, there is a growing political and economic interest among national governments and companies in expanding relations with Turkmenistan and Central Asian countries within a multifaceted framework of cooperation, based on improved bilateral relations as well as through the 1+5 regional format of cooperation.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow’s visit was the third by a Turkmen president to our country, following the first-ever visit by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (father of the current president and Chairman of the People’s Council) in May 2015 for the inauguration of the Turkmen national pavilion at the Milan Expo. During this visit two Memoranda of Understanding were also signed in the fields of economic and scientific cooperation, in addition to an agreement on collaboration between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

The second visit happened in 2019, when the parties signed several bilateral documents to expand cooperation in areas of greatest interest, namely the energy, industrial and military sectors, transport, culture and archaeology.

During his recent visit, the Turkmen President met with President Sergio Mattarella and inaugurated the exhibition on the civilisations of Turkmenistan at the Capitoline Museums (sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation). At the same time, the Farnesina, in collaboration with ICE (the Italian Trade Agency) and the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised the Italy–Turkmenistan Business Forum, attended by over 150 institutional and business representatives from both countries (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Sottosegretario Silli apre a Roma un Forum imprenditoriale con il Turkmenistan, 24 October 2025).

Cooperation in the energy sector remains one of the main features of bilateral relations: Eni has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2008, investing more than US$2 billion in the development of the Nebit Dag onshore field in collaboration with Turkmenneft (or Turkmennebit, 10% share against 90% of Eni). The oil produced in the satellite Burun field is delivered to the refinery located in the port of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea (Eni Factbook 2024).

The presence of major national companies such as Leonardo and Italferr at the business forum highlights the strong interest in deepening cooperation in the cybersecurity, space, mobility and transportation sectors. In terms of infrastructure and connectivity, Turkmenistan aims at consolidating its position as a logistics hub in Eurasia, strengthening its role in international transport corridors. In this context, within the framework of the Middle Corridor, the port of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Basin represents an alternative and complementary terminal to the Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk.

To achieve this goal, Italferr intends to implement the collaboration agreement signed in March 2024 in Rome during the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Director General of the Turkmenistan Transport and Communications Agency, Mammethan Chakyyev. The partnership between Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and the Turkmenistan Railway Agency aims to develop and manage integrated rail systems and intermodal hubs to facilitate freight transport, as well as potential partnerships for the development of the high-speed lines that the Central Asian state intends to build (F. Indeo, L. Bianchini, L’Italia e lo snodo dei trasporti centroasiatico: prospettive ed interessi, in “Studies on Central Asia and the Caucasus”, Special Issue, 2025, Firenze University Press).

Cooperation in the defence sector represents one of the main pillars of bilateral relations. In July 2019, the Chamber of Deputies ratified and implemented the Agreement between the Italian and Turkmen governments on cooperation in the defence sector. Under this agreement, the parties committed to developing forms of collaboration in the fields of military security, scientific research and development, and the military and defence industry, with important provisions regarding the export and import of weapons (ships, aircraft, military helicopters, armoured vehicles, surveillance systems) in compliance with their respective national regulations.

Indeed, arms sales represent an important component of economic cooperation between the two countries: approximately one-third of Italian exports to Turkmenistan are weapons and ammunition, sold by Italian industry for a total (in 2023) of almost €30 million (ISTAT–ICE, Turkmenistan Statistical Yearbook, 2024). The past record includes: light weapons, multirole helicopters, light naval armaments, light attack aircraft, tactical transport aircraft; naval missiles and guns, drones.

Prospects for further improving bilateral cooperation with Turkmenistan form part of a broader Italian strategy towards Central Asia, aimed at carving out a position of influence in the region and increasing our visibility as a reliable partner in supporting Central Asian efforts towards trade diversification. Combining political dialogue and economic cooperation could be the key to enhancing bilateral relations with a highly promising partner in the region.