OREANDA-NEWS. April 19, 2010. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received UK’s Special Representative for international trade and investment Prince Andrew, the Duke of York

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity of a personal meeting, the guest conveyed the heartfelt greetings of Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the royal family to the Turkmen leader. Noting that he was glad to visit Ashgabat again, Prince Andrew underscored the UK’s intention to expand the constructive dialogue with Turkmenistan in the whole spectrum of intergovernmental collaboration.

Addressing the nest wishes to the royal family President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan attached paramount significance to cooperation with the United Kingdom and stood ready to intensify mutually advantageous partnership.

Expressing satisfaction with the dynamics of Turkmen-British relations built on mutual respect and equality, the Turkmen leader and his high-ranking guest discussed the issues related to the further development of cooperation between the two countries.

Turkmenistan’ profound potential and rapid economic growth had conditioned the interest of the British business circles in closer, full-scale collaboration with Turkmen partners, the UK Special Representative said noting that the key priorities of bilateral partnership included collaboration in the trade and economic sphere and the fuel and energy sector.

Underscoring the existing vast opportunities to intensify economic contacts, the President of Turkmenistan called for diversifying partnership in this field. Exchanging views on the critical aspects of cooperation the Turkmen leader and his guest paid particular attention to cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, in particular education and science.

In conclusion President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York expressed belief that Turkmen-British cooperation would be further developed in mutual interests.

UK Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan Keith Rennie Allan attended the meeting.