On October 12-13, 2023, a delegation led by the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Bar Association (ABA), Mr Anar Baghirov, paid an official visit to Ashgabat at the invitation of the Council of Europe to participate in the international conference dedicated to the topic of “Fostering access to justice in Turkmenistan: the role of a lawyer in International and European law and practice”.

Within the framework of the trip, the Chairman of the ABA, Mr Anar Baghirov, and the Head of the ABA’s Administrative Office, Bayram Orujov, participated in the conference.

It should be noted that while there are regional Bar Associations in various regions of Turkmenistan, there is no single national Bar Association.

In this regard, the primary goal of this significant conference organised jointly by the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan is to promote the creation of a unified Bar Association in Turkmenistan, improve access to justice, exchange experiences, discuss the indispensable role of lawyers' associations, and bring together legal professionals, experts, and other stakeholders from member countries of Central Asia and the Council of Europe.

The event, consisting of four sessions and held within the framework of the Central Asia Rule of Law Program 2020-2024, gathered representatives of Turkmenistan's state institutions, international organisations, foreign Bar Associations, and civil society.

In the conference's opening session, Mr Anar Baghirov, the ABA’s Chairman, welcomed the participants and provided a comprehensive presentation. Mr Baghirov discussed the recent development path of the ABA, its existing experiences, significant judicial and legal reforms in the country, the enhancement of the influence of lawyers, ensuring the rule of law, promoting and protecting the core values of the legal profession, improving the legislative framework, and the establishment of an electronic training system, among other reforms and activities of the ABA.

The conference participants engaged in discussions about creating a unified and efficient Bar Association, its problems, and benefits, and put forward proposals and raised existing issues.

Subsequently, meetings were held between the delegation of ABA and the heads of international organisations and Bar Associations from various countries to strengthen existing relationships, exchange experiences, and discuss the prospects of future cooperation.

In particular, the delegation emphasised the readiness of ABA and Azerbaijani lawyers to support and collaborate in creating a unified Bar Association in the friendly country of Turkmenistan.