Today, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took part in an online meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
A number of topical issues related to the development of cooperation within the framework of the CIS in various areas, as well as drafts of a number of documents, were put on the agenda of the summit meeting. The results of joint activities in the past year were summed up, priorities for the coming period were outlined.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, Prime Minister Minister of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Gavrilitsa, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chairman of the Executive Committee - CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev took part in the meeting.
In his speech, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Republic of Belarus for organizing the event.
As the leader of the nation noted, joint events within the framework of the CIS this year, one way or another, are held under the sign of the great anniversary of the Commonwealth - the 30th anniversary of its foundation. Of course, this date gives a special meaning to all our work today, demanding that it be weighed against the experience accumulated over the past and at the same time the prospects of the CIS for the coming years.
- Today the task is to fill this document with real content, concrete deeds. Among the priorities in the Strategy are such areas as transport, fuel and energy complex, communications, industrial cooperation, trade, innovation and technology, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.
“These are the sectors in which we can successfully compete in international markets, offer potential partners favorable conditions,” the head of Turkmenistan stated, stressing the importance of promoting economic vectors and interests of the Commonwealth beyond its geographical limits, integrating neighboring countries and neighboring regions into our projects. First of all, this concerns the creation of transport and transit infrastructure, optimization and expansion of energy supplies, laying of new communication lines and connections..
As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted further, in April 2022, Turkmenistan is planning to hold an International Conference of Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries. For most of the CIS states, this is a relevant topic. The Turkmen side counts on participation in the upcoming forum of colleagues from the Commonwealth and a thorough practical discussion of the prospects for cooperation.
Turkmenistan singles out joint protection of the existing architecture of global security, upholding the norms of international law and the UN Charter among the most important areas of interaction. In this regard, the leader of the nation emphasized particular relevance of this objective, directly influencing the course of future processes in the world and the degree of risk of conflict situations.
As you know, this year has been declared by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Peace and Trust. As the initiator of this decision, our country has carried out extensive international work in order to strengthen the culture of peace and respectful dialogue, to eliminate the deficit of trust in interstate relations that has arisen at the present stage. Concluding the events within the framework of this Year, Turkmenistan plans to convene an International Conference "Politics of Peace and Trust - the Basis of International Security, Stability and Development" in Ashgabat, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, inviting the CIS countries to take part in this event.
In this regard, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov drew attention to the initiatives of Turkmenistan announced at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. Their main content is creation of new multilateral mechanisms aimed at studying the nature of the new type of coronaviruses, studying the forms of manifestation of the diseases they cause, developing and introducing new forms of treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Speaking about this, the head of Turkmenistan called on the CIS partners to support the proposals of our country and take part in their promotion at the UN platform.
Addressing the participants of the Summit, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan is fully prepared to continue close cooperation within the CIS.
- Today the Commonwealth is proving its viability, ability to responsibly cope with challenges and threats, and serves as an important instrument of interstate dialogue. We see this as a key condition for further joint work, the Turkmen leader noted.
Concluding his speech, the head of Turkmenistan wished success to the Republic of Kazakhstan in the chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States next year, and also addressed words of gratitude to the head of the Executive Committee - CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev for the effective coordination of joint work and contribution to the successful holding of this meeting.
During the Summit, an interested exchange of views took place on the priority areas of partnership. Organizational issues were also considered.
The CIS Executive Committee was asked to analyze the important initiatives voiced at the Summit aimed at improving interaction within the CIS and develop specific measures for their practical implementation.
Following the Summit, a number of decisions were made to deepen cooperation in humanitarian, migration and other areas of interaction.
The Turkmen side signed the Decisions of the Council of CIS Heads of State "On the Chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2022"; “On the Statement of the Heads of the CIS Member States in Connection with the 30th Anniversary of the CIS”; "On the Statement of the Heads of the CIS Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Biological Safety"; "On declaring the city of Comrat (Republic of Moldova) the Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth in 2023".
Thus, the current Summit reaffirmed the commitment of the Commonwealth states to constructive multifaceted cooperation, a significant contribution to the development of which is being made by independent neutral Turkmenistan.
