ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 17. Turkmenistan invites the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) expert groups to visit the country, TurkicWorld reports.

According to an official source, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov revealed the plan during a meeting with UN Assistant Secretary-General and Acting Executive Director of UN-Habitat Michal Mlynár.

During the discussion, the head of state requested that a group of UN-Habitat specialists visit Turkmenistan to identify particular areas of cooperation and develop an acceptable project deal that would serve as a legal foundation for engagement.

Stressing that Turkmenistan is ready for further cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the head of state voiced a number of proposals, including expanding contacts in the legislative sphere in the field of urban planning and studying modern legal methods and mechanisms that will contribute to the sustainable development of cities.

It was also proposed at the meeting to establish cooperation on the implementation of global programs and strategies for the development of high-tech, environmentally friendly, disaster-resistant, and livable cities and to intensify the exchange of best practices through public-private partnerships in the field of creating and managing urban infrastructure. For its part, Turkmenistan is ready to consider specific proposals.

Meanwhile, UN Habitat is a UN program focused on the sustainable development of cities and settlements, whose tasks include promoting policy formation, developing strategies, and implementing projects aimed at improving the quality of life in cities, ensuring access to housing, and developing sustainable urban infrastructure.

UN Habitat also conducts research, collects data, and monitors to identify trends in urbanization and provide a framework for developing effective urban development strategies around the world.