OREANDA-NEWS. March 02, 2010. A member of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum Dr. Shirin Akiner paid a working visit to Turkmenistan.

During the visit to Ashgabat Dr. Shirin Akiner held a series of the talks and consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia, the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan, the Council for Religion under President of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations. The focus of the talks at the Ministry of Education was further development of mutually advantageous cooperation in the spheres of science and education.

The author of seven monographs and numerous research works on the issues of social, political and cultural development of the Central Asian countries, a frequent participant to the high-level international forums Doctor of the Cambridge University Dr. Shirin Akiner delivered the lectures to the specialists of the MFA and the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the students of the Military Academy.

The member of the Cambridge Central Asia Forum visited Mary Velayat and the facilities of Avaza national tourism zone, Turkmenbashi oil refineries, the Khazar State Reserve in Balkan Velayat and showed keen interest in the large-scale archeological excavations in Ancient Merv. The visit programme included an excursion to the Geoktepe National Museum in Ahal Velayat.