President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov held talks in Tashkent.
In an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust the leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan discussed a wide range of issues related to the current state and prospects of Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation in its key areas in the context of bilateral agreements and the social and economic development priorities of the two countries and the plans for the future. The sides called for further fostering the constructive interstate political dialogue and building up effective trade and economic partnership and humanitarian and cultural contacts.
The sides also discussed a number of topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest.
The Turkmen leader invited the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to visit Turkmenistan at any convenient time. The invitation was accepted with gratitude. The dates of the visit will be adjusted through diplomatic channels.
Then the talks continued in the Congress Hall with the participation of the government delegations of the two countries.
Highly evaluating the results of the one-on-one talks, President Islam Karimov said that in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust a substantive exchange of views on a wide range of aspects of bilateral collaboration had been discussed and key priorities for long-term cooperation had been identified during the top-level talks. In this regard, the Uzbek leader emphasized that the talks were another evidence for the willingness of the neighbouring states to build up mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.
President Islam Karimov mentioned the transport and communications sector as the promising areas of partnership given the favourable geographical location of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and their transit potential.
Touching upon cultural and humanitarian cooperation as an essential component of the interstate dialogue, the Uzbek leader focused on the importance of consistently promoting fruitful contacts in this sphere.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan viewed Uzbekistan as a strategic partner, relations with which our country was building on a long-term basis.
In this regard, the Turkmen leader expressed belief that Turkmen-Uzbek relations played a critical role in strengthening peace and stability in the region and stood as a key factor contributing to the sustainability of security architecture in Asia.
The President of Turkmenistan noted that the two states shared the concerns of the international community about the attempts to spread extremist ideology in the region, the activities of criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities. Both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stood ready to counteract this evil in the bilateral and multilateral formats, jointly with other countries and international organisations.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were particularly interested in establishing lasting peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and traditionally paid much attention to the situation in the neighbouring country during the talks.
Focusing on bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov urged to further enhance it. In this context, the President of Turkmenistan emphasized the need to generate new ideas and innovative models of cooperation.
Focusing on the need to develop ambitious joint projects for cooperation in the industrial, agro-industrial, transport and communications sectors, the Turkmen leader emphasized that the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan Commission for trade and economic, scientific and technical and cultural cooperation, private business structures and economic research institutes of the two countries should take a more active part in these activities. For its part, Turkmenistan stood ready to provide all possible assistance and facilitate these activities at government level.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that certain prospects for bilateral cooperation existed in the transport sector nowadays. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that have the unique geographical location serve as a natural transit corridor on east-west and north-south routes. As is known, the sides discussed and initiated the project of the Central Asia-Middle East transit corridor during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan in October 2010. The Agreement on an international transport transit corridor, which was called at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan as the Ashgabat Agreement, was signed in Ashgabat in April 2011. The President of Turkmenistan said that Turkmenistan, being aware of the ongoing international legal procedures, which had been launched to implement the Agreement, stood ready to provide strong support for the early completion of these procedures.
The Turkmen leader touched upon environmental protection, particularly the saving of the Aral Sea, as a key aspect of interstate cooperation.
Noting that the water and energy problems in Central Asia were a focus of the top-level talks, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan’s view on these problems was based on three fundamental principles. Dwelling upon these principles, the Turkmen leader emphasized that these problems should be addressed in line with the universally recognized standards of international law, taking the interests of all the states in the region into account and through involving the authoritative international organisations. In this regard, the Turkmen leader noted that mutually acceptable solutions should be developed by the countries of the region on the basis of mutual respect.
Noting that cultural and humanitarian contacts played a crucial role in Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed that the two countries sought to actively promote the cultural and scientific exchanges on a regular basis and suggested holding the Turkmen-Uzbek cultural and humanitarian forum in Turkmenabat in 2014.
The ceremony of signing bilateral documents was held after the government delegations had concluded the talks.
The sides signed the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism between the State Committee for Tourism of Turkmenistan and the Uzbekturizm National Company, the Agreement on Cooperation between the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan and the Uzbek Republican Commodity Exchange, the Agreement on Cooperation and Exchange of Information between the State News Agency of Turkmenistan and the National News Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Agreement on Cooperation in Countering Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist between the Ministry of Finance of Turkmenistan and the Department for Combating Tax, Currency Crimes and Legalization of Criminal Incomes under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between the Turkmenhimiya State Concern, the Uzkimyosanoat State Joint-Stock Company and the Markazsanoatexport State Joint Stock Foreign Trade Company, the Agreement on Cooperation in Emergency Prevention and Response between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Programme of Cooperation in Culture between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic Uzbekistan for 2014-2016.
The leaders of the two states held a press conference after the ceremony had been concluded.
In the afternoon, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov headed to Mustakillik, the main square in Tashkent, where the Turkmen leader laid a wreath at the Monument of Independence and Humanism, which is a symbol of independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan visited the Palace of Symposiums and Alisher Navoi National Library of Uzbekistan.
In an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust the leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan discussed a wide range of issues related to the current state and prospects of Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation in its key areas in the context of bilateral agreements and the social and economic development priorities of the two countries and the plans for the future. The sides called for further fostering the constructive interstate political dialogue and building up effective trade and economic partnership and humanitarian and cultural contacts.
The sides also discussed a number of topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest.
The Turkmen leader invited the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to visit Turkmenistan at any convenient time. The invitation was accepted with gratitude. The dates of the visit will be adjusted through diplomatic channels.
Then the talks continued in the Congress Hall with the participation of the government delegations of the two countries.
Highly evaluating the results of the one-on-one talks, President Islam Karimov said that in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust a substantive exchange of views on a wide range of aspects of bilateral collaboration had been discussed and key priorities for long-term cooperation had been identified during the top-level talks. In this regard, the Uzbek leader emphasized that the talks were another evidence for the willingness of the neighbouring states to build up mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.
President Islam Karimov mentioned the transport and communications sector as the promising areas of partnership given the favourable geographical location of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and their transit potential.
Touching upon cultural and humanitarian cooperation as an essential component of the interstate dialogue, the Uzbek leader focused on the importance of consistently promoting fruitful contacts in this sphere.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan viewed Uzbekistan as a strategic partner, relations with which our country was building on a long-term basis.
In this regard, the Turkmen leader expressed belief that Turkmen-Uzbek relations played a critical role in strengthening peace and stability in the region and stood as a key factor contributing to the sustainability of security architecture in Asia.
The President of Turkmenistan noted that the two states shared the concerns of the international community about the attempts to spread extremist ideology in the region, the activities of criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities. Both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan stood ready to counteract this evil in the bilateral and multilateral formats, jointly with other countries and international organisations.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were particularly interested in establishing lasting peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and traditionally paid much attention to the situation in the neighbouring country during the talks.
Focusing on bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov urged to further enhance it. In this context, the President of Turkmenistan emphasized the need to generate new ideas and innovative models of cooperation.
Focusing on the need to develop ambitious joint projects for cooperation in the industrial, agro-industrial, transport and communications sectors, the Turkmen leader emphasized that the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan Commission for trade and economic, scientific and technical and cultural cooperation, private business structures and economic research institutes of the two countries should take a more active part in these activities. For its part, Turkmenistan stood ready to provide all possible assistance and facilitate these activities at government level.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that certain prospects for bilateral cooperation existed in the transport sector nowadays. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that have the unique geographical location serve as a natural transit corridor on east-west and north-south routes. As is known, the sides discussed and initiated the project of the Central Asia-Middle East transit corridor during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan in October 2010. The Agreement on an international transport transit corridor, which was called at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan as the Ashgabat Agreement, was signed in Ashgabat in April 2011. The President of Turkmenistan said that Turkmenistan, being aware of the ongoing international legal procedures, which had been launched to implement the Agreement, stood ready to provide strong support for the early completion of these procedures.
The Turkmen leader touched upon environmental protection, particularly the saving of the Aral Sea, as a key aspect of interstate cooperation.
Noting that the water and energy problems in Central Asia were a focus of the top-level talks, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan’s view on these problems was based on three fundamental principles. Dwelling upon these principles, the Turkmen leader emphasized that these problems should be addressed in line with the universally recognized standards of international law, taking the interests of all the states in the region into account and through involving the authoritative international organisations. In this regard, the Turkmen leader noted that mutually acceptable solutions should be developed by the countries of the region on the basis of mutual respect.
Noting that cultural and humanitarian contacts played a crucial role in Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed that the two countries sought to actively promote the cultural and scientific exchanges on a regular basis and suggested holding the Turkmen-Uzbek cultural and humanitarian forum in Turkmenabat in 2014.
The ceremony of signing bilateral documents was held after the government delegations had concluded the talks.
The sides signed the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism between the State Committee for Tourism of Turkmenistan and the Uzbekturizm National Company, the Agreement on Cooperation between the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan and the Uzbek Republican Commodity Exchange, the Agreement on Cooperation and Exchange of Information between the State News Agency of Turkmenistan and the National News Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Agreement on Cooperation in Countering Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist between the Ministry of Finance of Turkmenistan and the Department for Combating Tax, Currency Crimes and Legalization of Criminal Incomes under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between the Turkmenhimiya State Concern, the Uzkimyosanoat State Joint-Stock Company and the Markazsanoatexport State Joint Stock Foreign Trade Company, the Agreement on Cooperation in Emergency Prevention and Response between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Programme of Cooperation in Culture between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic Uzbekistan for 2014-2016.
The leaders of the two states held a press conference after the ceremony had been concluded.
In the afternoon, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov headed to Mustakillik, the main square in Tashkent, where the Turkmen leader laid a wreath at the Monument of Independence and Humanism, which is a symbol of independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The leaders of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan visited the Palace of Symposiums and Alisher Navoi National Library of Uzbekistan.