OREANDA-NEWS. February 11, 2009. Each year on February 10 Russia celebrates Diplomat Day. This holiday was established in October 2002 in accordance with the Decree of the RF President to mark the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On this remarkable occasion Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan Igor Blatov gave an interview

“On July 12 President of the Russian Federation Dmitriy Medvedev approved the Russia’s Foreign Policy Concept elaborated with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Modern Russia is an active participant to international relationships contributing in every possible way to building the fair multipolar world order which would meet equally the interests of the states, ensure international stability and sustainable development of global community. Russia’s foreign policy as a newly democratic state assumed the systematic, pragmatic character.

“Our position is founded firmly on the results of the domestic constructive work, realistic analysis of the key tendencies of global development, well thought-out foreign policy principles such as pragmatism, diversification, assertion of national interests. Today it has become a norm of the life worldwide, the platform for equal, mutually advantageous cooperation among different countries to maintain peace and wellbeing and develop participatory approaches to common problems. The major fields of the work of Russia’s diplomacy include the most important one such as maintenance and enhancement of cooperation in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the other integration establishments successfully working in the space of the CIS. Pursuing the policy of good neighbourliness and developing partnership with the states of the Commonwealth in the whole spectrum is the priority of Russia’s diplomacy. Implementing the foreign policy strategy Russia attaches particular significance to development of multi-aspect cooperation with Turkmenistan.

“Since establishment the relations between the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan have been built on the solid foundation of strategic partnership. The foreign ministries of our countries actively collaborate. We focus with satisfaction on the coincidence or closeness of the countries’ approaches to the key international and regional problems.

“We highly respect Turkmenistan’s policy of permanent positive neutrality. It should be noted that Russia was among the first countries to support Turkmenistan’s initiative to become a neutral state and the resolution officially securing the status of neutrality was unanimously approved at the 50th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly in December 1995. Since then Turkmenistan has been consistently pursuing its foreign policy in compliance with this unique status. It should be also noted that Russia provided every support to the initiative of the leadership of Turkmenistan to open the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia in Ashgabat. We believe that the peacemaking centre with the headquarters in the capital of the neutral state will successfully contribute to early prevention of conflicts and achievement of sustainable development in the region.

“International legal cooperation between our fraternal countries in the framework of the United Nations is developed in energy sector. Russia co-authored the UN Resolution on the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Cooperation approved on the initiative of Turkmenistan in late 2008. I believe that the provisions of this resolution will enable to substantially enhance the international legal guarantees of security of energy transportation infrastructure. In this regard we attach paramount significance to the international conference the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Cooperation which will be held in Ashgabat this April.

“Steady development of Russian-Turkmen cooperation was conditioned to a larger extent by the deeply sincere and respectful dialogue maintained at the top and high levels that has become a good tradition. The recent visit of RF President D. A. Medvedev to Turkmenistan vividly evidenced it.

“We have high hopes for the visit of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the Russian Federation scheduled for this March. I believe that this visit will bring the relations between our fraternal states up to a higher level and offer a powerful incentive to further cooperation.

“We have every reason to say that during the past two years we witnessed a qualitatively new and higher stage of this very fruitful dialogue and mutually advantageous cooperation. Intensity of the political contacts reached the unprecedented level in the history of the Russian-Turkmen relations – the leaders, Governments and foreign ministries of the two states held meetings on a regular basis. The contacts intensified in recent years resulted in reaching the important agreements. In this regard the Agreement on construction of the Caspian gas pipeline concluded by Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is of paramount importance to development of the Russian-Turkmen relations as well as diversification of transit to Turkmen energy to international markets.

“We are pleased to see the dynamic political dialogue being supplemented with intensive and mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation. Russia ranks among Turkmenistan’s major and dependable partners.

“121 enterprises with the Russian capital share operate in the country and 120 projects and contacts are implemented in collaboration with the Russian companies in Turkmenistan. Russia ranks the first in Turkmenistan’s foreign trade turnover which made up US\\$ 6.9 billion in 2008 and increased by 31.5% as compared to 2008.

“The intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation met for the third time in Ashgabat in August and the chairpersons of the commission – in December. The first Russian national exhibition “Economic Growth and Mutually Advantageous Partnership” in the Turkmen capital last August was a success. It brought together over 120 large companies from 16 regions of the Russian Federation.

“We state with satisfaction that the countries enhance trade and economic cooperation at the regional level as well. The past years were marked with a breakthrough in regional relationships. In 2008 the leaders of Tatarstan, Kalmykia, the Astrakhan Oblast and St. Petersburg visited Ashgabat. The Turkmen leader’s visit to Kazan opened a new bright page in the relations between Turkmenistan and this region of the Russian Federation. This visit resulted in signing the Agreement on Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical, Cultural Cooperation, implementing a number of the contracts including those for delivery of KamAZ trucks to Turkmenistan. Russia’s automobile giant opened the training and service centre in Ashgabat.

“Gazprom, Stroytransgaz, Trubnaya Metallurgicheskaya kompaniya actively collaborate with Turkmenistan in the fuel and energy sector. Lukoi, Soyuzneftegaz, TNK-BP, Itera and others negotiate the aspects of partnership.

“Cooperation in the humanitarian field, in particular the sphere of education, is steadily maintained. In particular, I. M. Gubkin State University of Oil and Gas opened a branch in Turkmenistan. In 2008 over 350 Turkmen students left for Russia to receive higher education.

“In conclusion I would like to take an opportunity to congratulate highly respected President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov on the second anniversary of election to the highest post and wish new accomplishments in his noble service to the Motherland. Also I would like to congratulate the fraternal Turkmen people on the coming holiday – Flag Day. I firmly believe that the relations of friendship and close cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan will be further developed for the benefit of our fraternal peoples, in the interests of peace, security and stability in Central Asia.”