Mr Chair, Dear Minister Astanagulov, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Esteemed Colleagues, It is a genuine pleasure to join you for the SPECA Economic Forum here in Turkmenistan.  Let me first extend my sincere thanks to His Excellency, President Berdimuhamedov, for hosting this important gathering.  This is my fourth visit to Turkmenistan in my current mandate, which reflects both my personal interest and the European Union’s strong and sustained engagement with this country and the wider