OSCE Centre supports study visit to Germany by Turkmenistan Members of Parliament
ASHGABAD, 21 September 2007 - Members of Turkmenistan's Mejlis (Parliament) today concluded a study visit to Germany, where they shared experiences on parliamentary work and legislative processes with their German counterparts.
Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabad in co-operation with the German Foreign Affairs Ministry, the one-week visit to the lower chamber of the German Parliament - the Bundestag - was aimed at supporting legislative reform initiated in Turkmenistan, specifically in the area of local self-governance, and strengthening parliamentary co-operation between Turkmenistan and other OSCE participating States.
"Germany welcomes the fact that Turkmenistan is intensifying its contacts and co-operation with the OSCE and OSCE participating States," said Wolfgang Thierse, Vice President of the German Parliament and Head of Germany's OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation. "Germany stands ready to further assist Turkmenistan in its reform process."
The visit was a follow-up to a 2006 study trip to the French Parliament.