The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Ermek Marzhikpayev, recently met with Batyr Rejepov, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan. During their meeting, they discussed the potential for strengthening bilateral cooperation in tourism and sports.
Minister Marzhikpayev extended his best wishes to Turkmenistan’s athletes participating in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. He also highlighted the recognition of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, as the “City of New Sports Opportunities of the CIS” during a meeting of CIS Heads of Government in May.
“I would like to sincerely congratulate you on receiving this status and wish you high results in sports. I am confident that this will contribute to the further development of physical culture and sports in Turkmenistan. We, for our part, are ready to support your initiatives and develop our cooperation,” said Marzhikpayev.
The minister stressed the significance of collaboration in tourism. He noted that Kazakhstan offers a wide range of tourism options, including ecotourism, ethnotourism, agrotourism, business tourism, and adventure tourism, thanks to its rich natural resources and diverse locations.
According to Marzhikpayev, inbound tourism is on the rise, with the number of tourists from Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan increasing nearly fourfold in 2023, reaching about 20,000 people.
He proposed enhancing tourism ties between the two countries by encouraging participation from Turkmenistan’s travel companies in exhibitions held in Kazakhstan.
In response, Ambassador Rejepov suggested several initiatives and projects in sports and tourism to strengthen bilateral relations. He also proposed signing a memorandum of understanding in the field of sports.
At the conclusion of their meeting, Minister Marzhikpayev invited Ambassador Rejepov to attend the official opening ceremony of the 5th World Nomad Games.
