OREANDA-NEWS. May 05, 2011.  President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is arriving on an official visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan today. This visit paid at the invitation of the Uzbek side is to give new incentives to foster fruitful operation between our states and nations bound with the ties of sincere friendship and good neighbourliness, centuries-old common cultural and spiritual traditions. In the new historical epoch these traditions have obtained a new continuation and content laying a firm foundation for overall intensification and diversification of partnerships that has the impressive potential.

The Turkmen-Uzbek dialogue that based on the goodwill of the sides moves forward successfully nowadays can be rightfully called a model of constructive and mutually beneficial relations built in compliance with national priorities, mutual interests and global development goals. The intention of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to pursue the strategy for full cooperation is illustrated by regular top-level meetings, each of which turns into a substantial discussion of the aspects of cooperation in the whole spectrum.

In this regard it should be noted that President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov held the previous talks in Ashgabat during the Uzbek leader’s visit to Turkmenistan in October last year. At that time the leaders of the two neighbouring states attended in the festivities of the Festival of Friendship between the Turkmen and Uzbek peoples that took place in Dashoguz Velayat and became a landmark in the history of bilateral relations.

As for trade and economic partnership, it develops dynamically being filled with a new concrete content, the two countries boost bilateral trade turnover. In this sphere a critical role is assigned to the Turkmen-Uzbek commission for trade and economic, scientific and technical and cultural cooperation that aims its activity at implementing the potential of fruitful collaboration in the context of modern realities.

The striking examples of effective interstate cooperation on such a strategic field as the fuel and energy sector is the large-scale project of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline implemented by concert efforts and put into operation in December 2009. The implementation of this ambitious project of XXI century initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has become a real contribution to forming new architecture of global energy security as consistent with modern requirements.

One of the very promising areas of partnerships is the transport and communications sector that is conditioned by the geographical location of our two countries. A practical step in this area was the Agreement between the Governments Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sultanate of Oman and the State of Qatar on the creation of a transnational transport and transit corridor recently signed in Ashgabat. This corridor connecting countries of Middle East and Central Asia will step up mutually beneficial trade and economic contacts on the Eurasian continent. Thus, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed in practice that they seek to implement fully the existing multifaceted potential of cooperation for the benefit of their peoples as well as in the interests of regional and global sustainable development.

Certainly, an integral part of bilateral relations is the humanitarian component. The assets of this fruitful collaboration based on cultural and spiritual affinities of the two nations, which were developed over the history, is the experience of cooperation accumulated during the years of independence in the science and education sectors, enhanced contacts in the cultural sphere and expanded creative collaboration. All this contributes to strengthening and expanding traditional friendly and good neighbourly relations between our countries committed to the ideals of peace, progress and kindness.

The agenda of the upcoming top-level talks in Tashkent will cover on a wide range of the aspects of Turkmen-Uzbek partnership in the bilateral format and within the authoritative international organisations and structures. It is expected that the package of bilateral documents that will strengthen the legal foundation of intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate intensification of collaboration on a long-term basis will be signed upon the outcomes of the talks.

The programme of the official visit of President of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Uzbekistan also includes a visit to Bukhara and historical and cultural monuments of this ancient city.