Israeli Ambassador Ismail Khaldi presented his credentials to Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, local TV channel Altyn Asyr reported on March 29.
In his official message, Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog noted that for 30 years of cooperation between the two countries, "friendly relations and mutual understanding have developed."
The report said an exchange of views on intensifying cooperation in culture, tourism, economy, and agriculture took place in Ashgabat during the meeting with the diplomat.
"Turkmenistan's interest in learning about Israel's experience in agro-industry, establishing cooperation in the field of the latest technologies for the rational use of water resources and desalination was expressed."
Khaldi, 51, was appointed ambassador to Turkmenistan in September 2022. He has previously worked in diplomatic missions in the US and Eritrea and is the first Bedouin diplomat in a Jewish state.
Israel had a temporary embassy in the Turkmen capital for about a decade. Daryo previously reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen was planning to officially visit Turkmenistan to open his country's permanent embassy in Ashgabat.
Israeli companies in the first years of Turkmenistan's independence after the collapse of the USSR were among the first to enter the local agricultural sector, offering their services in cleaning, desalination, and rational use of water resources.
Tel-Aviv was also one of the pioneers in reconstructing Turkmenistan's largest oil refinery in the Caspian city. In addition, companies from this country were also involved in upgrading facilities at the sizeable Dovletabad gas field, from where raw materials were exported to CIS countries via the Central Asia-Center pipeline.
Merhav was exceptionally advanced, and the head of this Israeli company, Yossi Maiman, worked as a special adviser to the president of Turkmenistan in the oil and gas sector.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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