OREANDA-NEWS. March 17, 2010. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who had arrived in Ashgabat on a two-day working visit leading the delegation.

Thanking for the opportunity of a personal meeting the honorary guest conveyed the heartfelt greetings of RF President Dmitriy Medvedev and RF Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who had expressed utmost interest in consistently further developing fruitful cooperation with Turkmenistan established in the past years.

Thanking for the heartfelt words the President of Turkmenistan addressed the best wishes to the leaders of the friendly state and underscored the paramount significance that Turkmenistan attached to enhancing and expanding the traditional intergovernmental dialogue.

The Turkmen leader emphasized that Turkmenistan viewed Russia as a dependable and strategic partner and expressed belief that this visit of the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would play a critical role in strengthening political, trade-economic and humanitarian contacts.

Focusing with satisfaction on the high dynamics of Turkmen-Russian cooperation based on the centuries-old relations of friendship and mutual understanding which had been offered a new powerful incentive to develop in the past years, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his guest discussed the strategic approaches to further intensifying mutually advantageous partnership in the light of the ongoing social and economic reforms in Turkmenistan as well as the keen interest of the Russian business companies in expanding on the Turkmen market. In this regard a focus of discussion was the prospects for strengthening long-term trade and economic ties, steadily increasing trade turnover and intensifying cooperation between the regions of the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Sergey Lavrov focused on the progress in implementing the bilateral agreements reached in the past years, in particular during the Turkmen leader’s visit to Russia last year as well as the joint projects aimed at intensifying partnership in the sectors of strategic importance for both countries. Sergei Lavrov noted that Russia considered it important to take the additional steps to consistently intensify trade and economic relations through employing the profound potential of the two countries. Welcoming this intention Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to the strategy for intensifying economic collaboration with its long-term and detainable partner, which had been initially built on mutual confidence, equality and respect for mutual interests. In this regard the Turkmen leader specified the priority fields of cooperation for the current year including the oil and gas sector, power industry and machine-building according to the agreements concluded last year.

Highly evaluating the good neighbourly relations between the two countries, the President of Turkmenistan and the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for further expanding multi-level contacts in the humanitarian sphere, including culture and education. Putting emphasis on the existing positive experience of collaboration in this sphere Sergei Lavrov said that the mutual willingness to intensify contacts in this critical sphere was illustrated by the Days of Culture of Turkmenistan, which would be held in the Russian Federation this April.

During the meeting the sides touched upon the other important aspects of Turkmen-Russia cooperation, which was effectively built at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in the framework of the United Nations Organisation as well.

“Russia actively supports Turkmenistan’s initiatives including those aimed at ensuring pipeline security and strengthening the disarmament regime in the Caspian region and Central Asia,” the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized expressing belief that this meeting would bring traditional cooperation up to a qualitatively new level and promote further enhancement of bilateral contacts.

In conclusion the honorary guest thanked President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the heartfelt welcome extended in the Turkmen land and wished new accomplishments in implementing the important programmes initiated by the Turkmen leader for the prosperity of the country, the happiness and wellbeing of the people.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan Igor Blatov attended the meeting.