Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visits the KAMAZ automobile plant

During the two-day visit to the Republic of Tatarstan President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the KAMAZ automobile plant and the research centre in Naberezhye Chelny.

A day before the leaders of Turkmenistan and Tatarstan had held the top level talks that demonstrated the adherence of the Turkmen and Tatar peoples to the centuries-old traditions of friendship and fraternity. The intergovernmental Agreement on trade and economic, scientific and technical and cultural co-operation signed by the leaders of Turkmenistan and Tatarstan irrefutably evidenced the reciprocal willingness to bring fruitful collaboration up to a higher level.

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaymiev and Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov visited the Turkmen leader at his residence in the Guests House and cordially congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on his birthday and wished good health and success in his versatile activity for the happiness and benefit of the Turkmen people.

In the morning the President of Turkmenistan accompanied by Prime Minister of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov arrived in Naberezhye Chelny.

In his interview to the Turkmen news agencies the President of Tatarstan highly appreciated the Turkmen leader’s visit and focused on the remarkable outcomes of the bilateral talks in Kazan. In particular, Mintimer Shaymiev said that there was considerable work to do in all fields of collaboration that the top level agreements and the intergovernmental Agreement provided the vast opportunities for. Touching upon the centuries-old traditions of friendship between the peoples of Turkmenistan and Tatarstan M. Shaymiev said that these ties were successfully maintained at all levels.

An hour later the helicopter with the President of Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of Tatarstan aboard landed on the helipad nearby the KAMAZ automobile plant. Vice Premiers R. Meredov, T. Tagiev and N. Shaguliev accompanied Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The Director General of the KAMAZ Public Corporation and the cabinet ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan cordially greeted the Turkmen leader. There were the banners in the Turkmen and the Russian languages, the national flags of Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan everywhere.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made a short excursion to the workshop with the main assembly conveyor. KAMAZ Director General Sergey Kogogin and Chief Designer Damis Valeev guided the Turkmen leader around the open-air exposition.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took keen interest in the vehicles presented. The KAMAZ truck consuming compressed gas was of particular interest to the President. Fuel efficiency – one filling is enough for 400 kilometres made these machines quite effective for natural gas rich Turkmenistan. The KAMAZ vehicles designed to work under severe road conditions and the agricultural machines including tractors, some of which had been tested under the soil and climatic conditions of Turkmenistan, were of great demand by the intensively developed economy of Turkmenistan.

During the excursion the Turkmen leader visited the exposition of intercity and tourist buses produced by the automobile giant. A video film about this bus series was demonstrated to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the passenger compartment of one of the buses.

Biding a farewell to the KAMAZ Director General and Chief Designer the Turkmen leader tanked them for the interesting excursion. Then Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov flew by helicopter to the Red Forest – a unique natural site located 100 km far from Naberezhye Chelny. The heartfelt welcome was extended to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov there. Cordially congratulating the Turkmen leader on his birthday the top managers of Russia’s largest corporation presented one of the machines that had participated in the prestigious international car racings, including the Paris-Dakar Rally. A herd of Ahlateke horses, the map of Turkmenistan, Turkmen carpet patterns and the figure 51 marking the Turkmen leader’s jubilee were depicted on the machines.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked for the gift and then drove the machine around the outskirts. Then the hosts and guests had dinner, during which those present congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on his birthday and expressed sincere respect and appreciation of the Turkmen leader’s services in achieving peace and progress. There Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had the telephone conversations with the leaders of Russian and Turkey, who congratulated the President of Turkmenistan on his birthday in the private conversation.

Thanking for the heartfelt welcome the President of Turkmenistan bade a farewell to the KAMAZ top managers and returned to the capital of Tatarstan. On the airfield the Turkmen leader had a brief conversation with President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaymiev. Highly appreciating the outcomes of the top level talks in Kazan that had started a new stage in the history of the relations between the two friendly peoples Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov bade a cordial farewell to the Tatar leader noting that he would look forward to his return visit to Turkmenistan. Thanking the Turkmen leader for the visit that had laid the firm foundation for further fruitful co-operation the President of Tatarstan bade a cordial farewell to the Turkmen leader.

In the evening the President of Turkmenistan returned to Ashgabat.

The high-ranking officials of the Mejlis and cabinet ministers met the President at the Ashgabat International Airport and congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the success of the visit to the Republic of Tatarstan and his birthday.