OREANDA-NEWS. On December 20, President of the Republic of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov completed the first official visit to Turkmenistan. Vice Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs R. Meredov participated in the official ceremony of biding farewell to the honorary guest at the Ashgabat International Airport. In the morning the Bulgarian leader left Ashgabat for Sofia. The European leader’s visit became another evidence of Turkmenistan’s increasing prestige worldwide and the high appreciation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s policy prioritizing enhancement of the ties of friendship, fraternity and mutually advantageous co-operation with all partners concerned.

That is vividly illustrated by the Turkmen-Bulgarian top level talks in Ashgabat which even today can be called as the starting point of the new history of the relations between the traditionally friendly countries. The top level meeting spotlighted the firm, well thought-out political courses of Turkmenistan and Bulgaria towards further harmonization of the interests and establishment of full-scale co-operation in the bilateral format as well as in the framework of the European Union – co-operation built on the long-term basis of the principles of equality and mutual benefit.

The intention declared by both countries to move this co-operation forward was reflected in the package of the bilateral documents which considerably expanded the legal framework of bilateral collaboration. Turkmenistan and Bulgaria officially secured their willingness and intention to intensify the intergovernmental dialogue in the whole spectrum – in the political, trade and economic, humanitarian and cultural spheres.

The mutual understanding and concurrence of the views on the most important issues on bilateral and international co-operation was reflected in the Joint Communique signed by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov.

The sides particularly specified the fuel and energy sector as the priority field of partnership declaring the intent to co-operate in the energy sector, energy security and environment protection and development of oil and gas and gas transportation infrastructure.

In the Joint Communique the President expressed the mutual interest in developing the transport corridor Caspian Sea-Black Sea-EU and diversifying the energy export routes. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov positively appreciated Georgi Parvanov’s initiative to hold the energy summit Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership in Bulgaria in April 2009.

The President of Bulgaria welcomed the Turkmen leader’s initiative presented at the 63rd session of the UN General Assemble on the adoption of the special resolution “Reliable Energy Transit and Its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development and International Co-operation”.

Focusing on the significant importance of very promising fuel and energy partnership that both Turkmenistan and Bulgaria were intent to develop on the basis of the existing experience and profound resource potential both leaders noted that the countries were intent to develop full-scale co-operation in all fields without exception. Thus, trade and economic partnership, in particular intensification of the trade turnover to be fostered by the intergovernmental commission for trade and economic, scientific and technical co-operation established on the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan will play a significant role in this process.

Putting emphasis on the necessity to establish the bilateral business contacts prefaced by the Turkmen-Bulgarian economic forum held in the framework of the Bulgarian leader’s visit to Ashgabat the President of Turkmenistan suggested holding the meetings between Turkmen and Bulgarian businessmen on a regular basis and organizing the trade and economic exhibitions of Bulgarian and Turkmen good sin Ashgabat and Sofia in 2009 and 2010

The foreign ministries of the two countries will hold the bilateral consultations in the Turkmen capital in the first quarter of 2009. Thus, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Bulgaria will provide overall mutual assistance in ensuring security and sustainable development as the member states of the authoritative international organisations including the United Nations and OSCE as well. Bulgaria reaffirmed that it viewed Turkmenistan as a dependable partner in Central Asia and supported its endeavours to build the reliable security system in the region to combat extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking.

The bilateral talks showed the sides’ mutual intention to employ the reserves of co-operation to the full extent in the humanitarian sphere in particular. It means that in the near future the real steps will be taken to intensify partnership in the spheres education, science and technology, culture, health care, sports, tourism, to expand the exchange and collaboration among the higher educational establishments and research institutions of the two countries that will promote mutual understanding and enhancing the ties of friendship between the peoples of Turkmenistan and Bulgaria.

During the talks which turned into the sincere conversation about the priorities and perspectives of co-operation both leaders expressed the firm intention to put every effort to implement effectively the agreements achieved in Ashgabat and provide overall assistance in designing the multilevel mechanism of co-operation thought holding the meetings at different levels – from the top level talks to the close contacts between the parliaments, political, public and business circles of the two countries.

Thus, Turkmenistan and Bulgaria opened a new page in the history of their friendship and designed the optimal formula of co-operation including the demand-driven approaches to the urgent issues of collaboration at both global and national levels.