OREANDA-NEWS. May 27, 2010. In New Delhi President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held the talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of India Manmohan Singh and had a meeting with President of the Republic of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil that confirmed the commitments of the two countries and peoples to the traditions of friendship and fruitful cooperation. Based on the common deep historical, spiritual and cultural roots the Turkmen-Indian dialogue was brought to a qualitatively new level reflecting modern realities and meeting mutual interests.

In the morning the President’s cortege headed for the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhawan where the official greeting ceremony took place.

President of the Republic of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Manmohan Singh heartily greeted President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the territory of the palace complex.

Upon concluding the ceremony the President of Turkmenistan visited the memorial complex Raj Ghat – the memorial to India’s independence movement leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Paying tribute to the outstanding son of the Indian people the Turkmen leader laid a wreath of flowers to the memorial and stood one minute’s silence in remembrance of Mahatma Gandhi.

The leader of the Turkmen state wrote an entry to the Book of Honorary Guests in commemoration of this event.

In the afternoon President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived in the Hyderabad House where Prime Minister of the Republic of India Manmohan Singh greeted him cordially.

Upon concluding the official ceremony, the Turkmen-Indian talks took place with the participation of the government delegations of two countries.

Greeting cordially the President of Turkmenistan and the members of the Turkmen government delegation, the Indian Prime Minster emphasized that India attached particular importance to the first state visit of the leader of the Turkmen state Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as an event inaugurating a new epoch in Turkmen-Indian relations.

Manmohan Singh said that present-day Turkmenistan, which had taken the path of progressive reforms implemented under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, demonstrated the high pace of development and progress. The Prime Minister stated that India was proud of the centuries-old ties with Turkmenistan whose outstanding sons including Bairam Khan had profoundly contributed to the development of the Indian state. These ties were continued in present-day Turkmen-Indian relationships. In this context Manmohan Singh evaluated highly the effectiveness of bilateral contacts at various levels and the activity the intergovernmental Turkmen-Indian commission for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation that had conducted a regular meeting in Ashgabat this February.

Defining on the trade and economic, fuel and energy sectors and the humanitarian sphere including education, science and culture as the priority fields of partnership, the Prime Minister said that the firm legal framework had been built for intergovernmental cooperation. So, the decision to open the Turkmen-Indian Information Technology Centre had been recently adopted and started to produce positive results. Another illustrative example of successful educational cooperation was the opening of the Department of Hindi at D. Azady Turkmen National Institute of World Languages.

Emphasizing that the partners had the profound potential for fruitful partnership, Manmohan Singh said that India stood ready to develop close contacts in various spheres, in particular the high-tech and transport sectors.

As Turkmenistan was very rich in hydrocarbon resources and India was a large energy outlet, there were the vast opportunities for cooperation in the fuel and energy sector. The Prime Minister said that India was very interested in implementing the TAPI Project – the construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline that promised great benefits to all countries that would lie on this energy route. Indian partners stood ready to cooperate on exploration, development and extraction of hydrocarbons. The vast opportunities were opened up in the petrochemical industry. Noting that the list of the field for mutually advantageous cooperation could be continued, Mr. Manmohan Singh called for intensifying Turkmen-Indian contacts at various levels that would promote the fruitful dialogue.

Touching upon cooperation in the world arena, the Prime Minister of India focused on the similarity and coincidence of views on such important issues as counteraction to terrorism noting that India supported Turkmenistan’s firm position in this field. Also, that leadership of the Republic of India supported Turkmenistan’s approach to the situation in Afghanistan and resolving all problems peacefully. Manmohan Singh said that India shared Turkmenistan’s conviction that collective issues should be addressed in the framework of the international organisations, in particular the United Nations. In this regard the Prime Minister underscored the significance of the policy of neutrality that had won Turkmenistan high prestige worldwide.

The floor was given to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Expressing sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India and the Indian partners for the heartfelt welcome and the favourable conditions created for joint fruitful work, the Turkmen leader took an opportunity to express his sincere condolences to the leadership and people of the friendly country for numerous human casualties caused by the plane crash in Mangalore town.

The leader of Turkmenistan emphasized that this year’s visit was paid against the background of bilateral relations significantly intensified in recent years that was vividly evidenced by dynamic development of the Turkmen-Indian intergovernmental dialogue in recent years and the mutual willingness to expand cooperation, including in the strategic energy sector.

In this regard the Turkmen leader emphasized that the relations between Turkmenistan and the Republic of India built on the principles of equality were distinguished for deep mutual understanding and openness. Intensifying mutually advantageous partnership, the countries relied on the traditions of sincere friendship, the common fundamental social and moral values. All this provided a reliable platform for close constructive cooperation to address the major issues of global development.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that these talks had confirmed the willingness of the two countries to further contribute to maintaining global peace and security, enhancing the role of the United Nations Organisation through recognizing the principles set forth in the UN Charter and other key documents. Turkmenistan and the Republic of India had the similar approaches to such critical issues as promotion of equal cooperation between developed and developing countries of the modern world, the respect for the right of states to self-determination and choose a form of government and political structure. The Turkmen leader said that our countries advocated a world free from wars and conflicts, adherence to justice and equality in international relations and settlement of emerging conflicts through peaceful talks. Turkmenistan and India stood steadfast to a close balanced partnership under the aegis of the authoritative international organisations, in particular the United Nations, and st

ood ready to facilitate realizing fruitful ideas and initiatives of the world community.

The President of Turkmenistan continued that India as a UN member state invariably supported the international initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan to ensure energy security in particular. India had welcomed and co-authored the Resolution of the UN General Assembly on the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Cooperation initiated by Turkmenistan. Taking an opportunity, the Turkmen leader expressed sincere gratitude to Indian partners for cooperation.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that an essential condition of well coordinated Turkmen-Indian cooperation at an international level was membership of both states in the Non-Aligned Movement, where India played an important role as one of the founders. As the non-aliened states that joined neither alliances nor military blocks, Turkmenistan and India advocated equality, justice and humanism in international relations. The activity of the Non-Aligned Movement had acquired paramount importance at the current stage and met interests of millions of people. In this regard the Turkmen leader underscored Turkmenistan’s readiness to establish closer cooperation with India in the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Emphasizing the mutual understanding on the key issues related to the situation in Afghanistan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that in the near future the crisis in Afghanistan would be resolved peacefully through political and diplomatic means. The leader of the Turkmen state said that Turkmenistan and India supported the global efforts to reconstruct economic and social infrastructure in Afghanistan and unceasingly struggle against drug abuse and criminal groups engaged in trafficking in narcotic drugs. In this context the Turkmen leader focused on the similarity of views and coincidence of the approaches to addressing such challenges of the modern world as maintenance of peace and security, achievement of sustainable economic growth, counteraction to present-day threats including terrorism and extremism.

Touching upon the issues related to developing trade and economic contacts intensively developed in the past few years, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Turkmenistan and India had every requisite to bring this cooperation at a qualitatively new level in compliance with the existing potential and meeting mutual interests in all fields. In particular, these included the state and private sectors of economy and investment sphere. The Turkmen leader said that the activity of the intergovernmental Turkmen-Indian commission for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation could be the most effective mechanism in this regard.

Turkmen-Indian partnership was deemed to be optimally advantageous for both countries due to Turkmenistan’s policy of diversifying the national economy through applying innovations, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. In this regard the Turkmen leader said that Turkmenistan was interested in broadening collaboration in such spheres as chemical, metal mining, textile and pharmaceutical industries, agricultural, transport, communications and high technology sectors. The President of Turkmenistan provided the activity of the Turkmen-Indian pharmaceutical enterprise Ajanta Farma producing high-quality medical products as an example of successful cooperation.

Focusing on cooperation in the energy sector, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan viewed India in this field as a future strategic partner. Aiming to expand international cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, Turkmenistan was committed to the diversification strategy which entailed using new routes for Turkmen natural gas and developing further pipeline infrastructure. “In this regard,” the Turkmen leader said, “we see the implementation of the project of supplying Turkmen energy southward along the route Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India as promising.” The energy needs of Indian economy and industry steadily grew. In its turn, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, Turkmenistan had all opportunities to supply ‘blue fuel’ to India on a long-term basis. This met the bilateral long-term interests as well as the interests of the neighbouring countries. With goodwill and balanced approaches available, the partners could develop jointly concrete proposals, intensify negotiations with the international financial institutions and give a new impetus to the idea of implementing this large-scale project. Also, the leader of the Turkmen state emphasized that the Turkmen oil and gas sector was always open for cooperation with Indian companies.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov characterized the transport sector as a very promising field of cooperation due to the advantageous geographical location of Turkmenistan. As is known, the two countries had established air communication: the airliners of the Turkmenhowayollary State National Service flew regularly between India and Europe. In this regard the Turkmen leader suggested considering the possibilities of partnership for the development of ground transit and transport infrastructure that could connect India via Turkmenistan with the CIS states and the countries in the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea regions. “We are interested in attracting Indian investments in development of transport infrastructure and entirely promote cooperation in this very promising field,” the leader of the Turkmen state emphasized.

Focusing on the aspects of cooperation in the high-tech sector, in which India ranked among the world’s leaders, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the existing vast opportunities to concert efforts in mutual interests particularly because Turkmenistan had launched the large-scale programmes to modernize the national economy and bring it to a high-tech level.

A critical component of friendly intergovernmental relations was cultural and humanitarian, scientific and educational cooperation based on the successful experience of collaboration and established good traditions. In this regard the Turkmen leader said that the sides had agreed to continue the fruitful humanitarian dialogue.

Expressing belief that the talks and the agreements reached in New Delhi would become a new important stage in the history of intergovernmental relations the President of Turkmenistan expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister of India for his personal contribution to enhancing friendship ad cooperation between the two countries and the wishes of peace, wellbeing and prosperity to the Indian people.

During the talks with the Indian partners, the full support was expressed for the foreign policy strategy based on the status of permanent neutrality and the constructive international initiatives of the Turkmen state. Having put forward a number of proposals for cooperation, the Indian partners underscored a keen interest in developing fruitful contacts with Turkmenistan in a wide spectrum of fields, including pharmaceutical and food industries, machine-building, construction, tourism, the use of alternative sources of energy, etc.

Summing up the talks the President of Turkmenistan noted that the sides had the versatile potential to intensify mutually advantageous partnership that would give new incentives to further intensify effective collaboration foe the benefit of two friendly nations.

Upon concluding the talks the leader of the Turkmen state and the head of the Government of India had a conversation over a cup of tea in the Dekkan Hall. The sides reaffirmed the adherence to full-scale mutually advantageous cooperation.

The ceremony of signing the bilateral documents took place in the Mughal Hall in presence of the President of Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of India.

These included the Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of India on the abolition of visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders, the Programme for Academic Exchange between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of India, the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of India, the Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of India, the 2010-2012 Programme of Cooperation in Science, Education, Culture, Art, Tourism, Sport and Mass Media.

The Joint Communique on the state visit of His Excellency President of Turkmenistan Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the Republic of India was adopted.

The ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and the Confederation of Indian Industry took place on New Delhi on the same day.

In the evening the President’s cortege headed for the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhawan where a meting with President of the Republic of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil took place.

Greeting cordially the honorary guest, the President of India focused on the significance of the Turkmen leader’s visit and the Turkmen-Indian talks in New Delhi, which had added a new chapter to the history of the intergovernmental dialogue, and expressed belief that the agreements reached would bring traditional cooperation at a higher level reflecting its potential.

Thanking Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil for the invitation to visit the Republic of India and the heartfelt welcome extended in the country, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan attached paramount importance to enhancing the ties of friendship and fruitful partnership with India based on the principles of equality, friendliness, mutual respect and unbreakable good will.

In a very friendly and constructive atmosphere the leaders of Turkmenistan and India discussed the prospects for developing interstate cooperation in the priority fields. The sides called for maintaining the constructive political dialogue, collaboration in the world arena both in bilateral and multilateral formats, including in the framework of the authoritative international organisations, in particular the United Nations and the Non-Aliened Movement, on critical issues facing humanity nowadays. These included achievement of global security and stability, counteraction to terrorism and illicit drug trafficking.

In this regard the leader of Turkmenistan put forward the proposals to build the mechanism for regular consultations between the foreign ministries, intensify exchange of government delegations and establish cooperation at the parliamentary and party levels that were welcomed by the President of India.

Confirming the mutual readiness to intensify fruitful trade and economic partnership, the leaders of Turkmenistan and India focused on the existing vast opportunities to diversify it, consistently increase the volume of trade and establish mutually advantageous contacts in various fields.

The priority fields included the energy sector. In this context emphasis was put on the prospects for implementing the project of construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline that had every chance to become an important alternative energy route to meet the needs of Indian economy. In this regard President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan was ready to consider the possibilities of collaboration with Indian companies for the development of the Turkmen energy sector.

The very promising fields of cooperation included the transport and communications sectors that opened up the vast opportunities to concert efforts in the air transport sector and to develop marine and ground infrastructure.

Evaluating highly the role of the intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation in achieving the designated goals, the Turkmen leader focused on Turkmenistan’s readiness to form the ad-hoc working groups in the framework of the commission.

Focusing on the significance of humanitarian cooperation based on centuries-old historical and cultural affinities Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Pratibha Devisingh Patil called for expanding further contacts in the spheres of education, science and culture on the basis of the positive experience of collaboration and the existing conditions conducive to intensifying fruitful cooperation.

The sides exchanged views on the international and regional political issues of mutual interest. Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil emphasized that India welcomed the constructive international initiatives put forward by the President of Turkmenistan to achieve global security, wellbeing and sustainable development.

In conclusion the leaders of two countries reaffirmed the mutual commitment to the centuries-old traditions o friendship and the course towards full-scale mutually advantageous cooperation.

An official dinner was given by the President of Turkmenistan in honour of the honorary Turkmen guest.

Greeting the honorary guest and noting that the Turkmen leader’s visit had been looked forward in India, Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil expressed belief that this visit would enhance even more the relations between two countries bound with historical and cultural ties since the Great Silk Road.

The President of India said that today both countries advocated pluralism, mutual respect and tolerance. Our states promoted a dialogue of friendship and cooperation through common political perspective and harmonization of mutual interests and cultures. 

Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil emphasized that India was impressed with the Turkmenistan’s outstanding progress. We also highly esteemed the progressive reforms initiated by the Turkmen leader to develop the educational, economic and social spheres. It was pleasant to emphasize the similarity of the policy priorities in these spheres as well as the adherence to the principles of social justice and enhancement of the intellectual potential of the nation. In this regard cooperation in the education sector, including the continuation of training Turkmen students under the programmes IPSS and ISSR as an important aspect, was deemed to be very promising. We would be glad to expand this cooperation through academic exchanges, studying the languages of each other and establishing long-term contacts. In this context, the President of India expressed satisfaction with the opening of the Department of Hindi at D. Azady Turkmen National Institute of World Language noting that the possibility of opening the Department of Urdu at Magtymguly Turkmen State University was under consideration.

We should develop cooperation in the spheres of art, culture and archeology and enhance and maintain contacts as the friendly countries that brought together Turkmenistan and India, Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil said.

The President of the Republic of India emphasized that India stood ready to share the experience and knowledge it extended in the sphere of high technologies including information technologies, cosmos, biotechnologies and pharmaceutics. Versatile economic cooperation would further cement our traditionally heartfelt relations as the role of a business community in building stable and firm economic partnership was significant.

India was interested in deepening cooperation with Turkmenistan in the fuel and energy sector in particular and stood ready to make investments in this sector and high technologies and facilitate implementing the TAPI gas pipeline project, Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil said.

The President of India noted that due to the prudent policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Turkmenistan was successfully integrating in the world economic system. The well thought-out and steady policy of permanent neutrality, which served as a critical factor in ensuring peace and security in the region, had won the Turkmen state the high prestige. In this regard Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil stated that our countries shared views on many regional and global issues and fruitfully cooperated in the world arena.

Focusing on India’s interest in intensifying partnership with Turkmenistan, the President of the friendly country gave the floor to the Turkmen leader.

In his speech President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed profound gratitude to Her Excellency Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Indian friends for the heartfelt welcome and hospitality and the favourable atmosphere for constructive work.

The Turkmen leader focused with satisfaction on the openness, transparency and effectiveness of the talks that was illustrated by the bilateral documents signed in New Delhi. This proved that the relations between our countries had a friendly and partner nature, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized.

We highly respected India’s activity on the world political arena and the significant role it played in the authoritative international organisations, in particular the United Nations, the Turkmen leader continued. Turkmenistan pursuing the peace loving foreign policy played a constructive role in international affairs. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the views of two countries coincided in this regard because they were aimed at achieving the common goal – to create the conditions extremely conducive to achieving security, stability and sustainable development of the planet.

The leader of the Turkmen state expressed belief that the outcomes of this visit and the bilateral agreements would facilitate implementing the profound potential of bilateral relations.

Turkmenistan highly valued the interstate relations established in these years with India and attached particular importance to fostering them in all priority fields.

We knew about the accomplishments of the Indian people and sincerely rejoiced at India’s achievements on the path of progress, fundamental reforms and changes, the Turkmen leader emphasized.

In conclusion President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov wished peace and happiness, wellbeing and prosperity to the leadership and people of India and invited the President of the Republic of India and the Prime Minister of India to visit Turkmenistan at any convenient time. The invitations were accepted with gratitude.