OREANDA-NEWS. January 10, 2008. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov received Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Mr. Antonio Maria Costa.

The high-ranking official of the authoritative international organization congratulated the Turkmen leader and the people of Turkmenistan on the New Year and expressed belief that Turkmenistan would continue to consistently advance along the way of progress and prosperity. Mr. Antonio Maria Costa noted that the last year was marked with the important events for Turkmenistan including election of Turkmenistan the Vice Chairman of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly and opening of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy that evidenced fruitful and constructive Turkmenistan-United Nations co-operation.

Highly appreciating the policy of Turkmenistan that consistently implemented in the common interests the neutral status delegated by international community the guest said the United Nations regarded it as an important factor for maintaining peace and stability in Central Asia, expanding the dialogue between East and West.

Emplacing that Turkmenistan attached special importance to partnership with Turkmenistan and built it on a long-term basis Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s adherence to comprehensive expansion and intensification of co-operation entering anew stage nowadays. The President said that Turkmenistan regarded collaboration with the UN agencies as a guarantee of reacting to the urgent problems the region faced nowadays and world policy in whole.

In this context the interlocutors exchanged views on intensification of partnership in the strategic fields such as maintaining security in the region, combating drug trafficking and protecting the national borders. The UNODC Executive Director said that serving as a bridge between Europe and Asia due to its geographical location and well-balanced home and foreign policies that created the broad opportunities for fostering the dialogue established Turkmenistan occupied a special place among the member states.

The Turkmen leader said that Turkmenistan actively participating in the noble efforts undertaken by international community took the firm, principled stand on combating drug trafficking and abuse. The President said that the large-scale activity involving the law enforcement agencies as well as the public organisations, members of the Galkynysh National Movement, was conducted throughout the country. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted that the work was carried on in close collaboration with the large international organisations, the United Nations in particular.

The interlocutors focused on enhancement of border control, initiation of the events aimed at tackling the drug-related problems and establishment of close regional co-operation as the priority goals.

Expressing the readiness for concerting the efforts the interlocutors discussed the aspects of establishing a new specialized agency for drug control policy in Turkmenistan emphasizing that the agency would be of paramount importance for fostering and improving co-operation. Training Turkmen specialists would be an important factor for effective operation of the new agency. The guest assured that overall support would be provided to Turkmenistan in that field.

Mr. Antonio Maria Costa thanked Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov for the positive, approach to co-operation with the United Nations and in particular the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and expressed belief that fruitful collaboration would be furthered successfully.

Upon concluding the meeting Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov expressed gratitude to UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Richard Young and Head of the UN Office on Drug and Crime Mission in Turkmenistan Erjan Sack for the profound contribution to enhancement of co-operation based on the interests of peace and security.