From 1 to 3 July 2025, Vienna will host a regional seminar of the World Trade Organisation on the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). The event is organised by the WTO Secretariat in cooperation with the Joint Vienna Institute as part of the technical assistance programme for 2024–2025. This was reported by IIC.

The main objective of the seminar is to increase the involvement of countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the work of the WTO, as well as to deepen understanding of the SPS Agreement. The discussions will cover issues of transparency of measures, the activities of the WTO Committee on SPS, as well as current initiatives of international organisations, including the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Turkmenistan is represented at the seminar by experts from the State Veterinary Service, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, and the Main State Service ‘Turkmenstandartlary’. Arslan Soltanmyradov, Head of the International and Scientific Relations Department of the State Veterinary Service, delivered a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony. He emphasised Turkmenistan's commitment to fulfilling its international obligations in the field of SPS measures, the importance of cooperation with relevant organisations and the need to strengthen technical capacity to improve the national control system.

Participation in the seminar allows the Turkmen delegation to discuss current aspects of the implementation of the SPS Agreement, exchange experiences with colleagues from other countries and explore opportunities for expanding international cooperation.