OREANDA-NEWS. On August 04, 2009 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who had arrived in the Turkmen capital leading the representative government delegation, reported the Official website turkmenistan.gov.tm.

Thanking for the opportunity of a personal meeting the high-ranking guest conveyed the heartfelt greetings of the leadership of his country – the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, who had expressed intense interest in maintaining the constructive dialogue with Turkmenistan that demonstrated the impressive progress in the political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

Greeting the head of the foreign minister of the friendly country Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that he had the warm recollections of the meeting with President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari this March in Tehran during the 10th Summit of the leaders and heads of the government of the countries – members of the Economic Development Organisation.

Touching upon the prospects for intergovernmental cooperation developed successfully on the bilateral as well as multilateral basis in the framework of the international and regional organisations the sides stated that Turkmenistan and Pakistan had the profound potential and willingness to further intensify cooperation in the interests of the peoples of two countries and the states of the region.

Focusing on the effectiveness of the intergovernmental dialogue the foreign minister of Pakistan highly appreciated the Turkmen leader’s contribution to bringing long-term cooperation between the countries bound with the geographical proximity as well as deep historical roots, cultural and spiritual affinities up to a higher level and developing it in the key field including energy sector, transport, agriculture, healthcare.

Exchanging views on a whole spectrum of international cooperation the President and his guest were unanimous that the similarity and coincidence of the views on the issues of international and regional politics profoundly contributed to strengthening it. Mr. Nawabzada Malik Ahmad Khan said that Pakistan highly valued and welcomed Turkmenistan’s policy of good neighbourliness and the Turkmen leader’s international initiatives and steps to enhance global stability and wellbeing.

In this regard emphasis was put on significance of the large-scale projects including construction of Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline that the participating countries expressed their commitments to. The sides noted that construction of the TransAfghan gas pipeline was the guarantor of further economic progress of the region and a powerful factor of peace and security in Central Asia.

The sides were unanimous that the key trends in development of intergovernmental cooperation included the humanitarian sphere, in particular education, healthcare and culture where the countries had accumulated the profound positive experience. In this regard the President and the Pakistani foreign minister focused on the significance of the first meeting of the intergovernmental Turkmen-Pakistani commission that was held in Ashgabat during these days. Establishment of the intergovernmental commission illustrated the mutual willingness to implement the agreements reached and to be reached during the talks at a new stage of partnership in compliance with the priorities of national development and interest of the two countries.

In conclusion the guest thanked Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the opportunity to discuss a wide range of the issues of mutual inters during the personal meeting and wished every success in all undertakings and initiatives for the benefit and wellbeing of the country and the Turkmen people.