President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov received Senator Richard Lugar, who had arrived in Ashgabat leading a representative delegation.

The interlocutors exchange views on a broad range of the issues of mutual interest and discussed the possible fields of co-operation.

Positively evaluating the agreements achieved by Turkmenistan and the United States during the meetings and talks in 2007 Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and his guest reaffirmed the countries’ readiness to comprehensively intensify and expand the interstate dialogue.

Noting that the United States highly appreciated partnership with Turkmenistan the American politician called for intensifying partnership in the energy sector in particular. Mr. Richard Lugar put emphasis on the paramount importance of Turkmenistan’s energy projects aimed at placing the country’s resource potential at the service of international community. Positively evaluating Turkmenistan energy policy and energy industry development strategy the guest focused on the American companies’ intense interest and readiness to establish mutually advantageous partnership in oil and gas industry.

Putting emphasis on diversification of Turkmen-American co-operation and wide application of advanced expertise and technologies the United States could offer nowadays the interlocutors specified other priority fields including healthcare and agriculture, in which the partners had accumulated the positive experience of co-operation. The interlocutors noted with satisfaction the high level of partnership in the sphere of education. Exchange of young specialists, students and schoolchildren, who studied in the United States under the special educational programmes, conformed to the goals of the educational reforms and enhanced confidence and mutual understanding between the two peoples. In this context the interlocutors considered the opportunities of expanding the student exchange programmes.

Upon concluding the meeting the American guest gave an interview. He expressed sincere satisfaction at the results of the meeting “held in the exceptionally constructive atmosphere, demonstrated the partners’ aiming at further harmonizing the mutual interests.”

U.S. charge d'affaires ad interim to Turkmenistan Richard Hoagland and Head of the U.S. Republican Party Headquarters Kennet A. Meyers took part in the meeting.