On Wednesday July 16, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, held a telephone conversation with H.E. Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
The call underscored the two nations’ shared commitment to building a strong foundation for bilateral cooperation, coming just a day after the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Turkmenistan.
The ministers exchanged views on the growing relationship between their countries and discussed opportunities for engagement ahead of the 3rd United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), which Turkmenistan will host from August 5 to 8 in the city of Awaza.
Both Rwanda and Turkmenistan, as landlocked nations, face similar challenges related to trade, infrastructure, and regional connectivity, issues expected to take center stage during the conference.
Today’s call reaffirmed both nations’ interest in advancing a diplomatic relationship based on mutual respect, development priorities, and enhanced cooperation within multilateral frameworks.
The dialogue also highlighted the strategic importance of the LLDC forum as a platform to forge collective solutions to shared constraints that hinder economic growth among landlocked countries.
This high-level engagement followed the signing of a Joint Communiqué on July 15, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Martin Ngoga, and his Turkmen counterpart, Amb. Aksoltan Ataeva, formalized diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time.
The agreement marked a historic milestone, opening a new chapter of collaboration in areas such as sustainable development, global diplomacy, and South-South cooperation.
With today’s phone call building on the momentum of yesterday’s formal agreement, Rwanda and Turkmenistan are now poised to explore deeper collaboration and shared solutions through strengthened diplomatic engagement.
