BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. European Union’s new program in Turkmenistan will consist of a cooperation facility, a European Commission Spokesperson told Trend.
The spokesperson noted that at the regional level the EU’s support for agriculture in Central Asia will continue to be guided by the EU Strategy on Central Asia of 2019, which defines the scope of EU development cooperation in terms of support for resilience and support for prosperity.
“We intend to continue support to the water sector through the WECOOP program, and to the International Fund for the Aral Sea, both of which indirectly support agriculture through support for an improved regulatory framework for water management,” the spokesperson said.
At the same time, the spokesperson added, the US provides support for EBRD projects supporting SME development at the regional level and specifically in Kazakhstan, which includes those working with agricultural value chains.
“Our new program in Turkmenistan will consist of a cooperation facility, which will focus on support for private sector development through the improvement of the business climate in the agri-food sector. Emphasis will be put on Micro-, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with a particular focus on women- and youth-led enterprises,” the official said.