President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi held the talks in Ashgabat. After the one-on-one meeting had concluded, the government delegations of Turkmenistan and the Republic of India joined in the talks.
The talks focused on aspects of foreign policy cooperation and collaboration within the major international organisations, particularly the United Nations. It was noted that Turkmenistan had supported India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council as well as its election to other international organisations. India advocated the international initiatives of Turkmenistan, approved by the United Nations General Assembly. In particular, India co-sponsored the resolutions on the energy and transport sectors adopted by this authoritative organisation.
Noting the similarity of the principles and approaches taken by the sides to address new challenges of our time, such as international terrorism, religious extremism, transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that our country stood for the early adoption of the Universal Anti-Terrorism Convention of the United Nations.
Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. In this regard, the Turkmen leader emphasized the importance of restoring social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan as soon as possible and implementing the important projects aimed at its speedy integration into the system of regional and global economic relations. We attach particular importance to the involvement of Afghanistan in the implementation of ambitious infrastructure projects. These include the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
Dwelling upon the progress in implementing the transnational TAPI project, the Turkmen leader noted that much work had been over the past five years. The leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India signed the framework agreement for the TAPI gas pipeline project. The sides signed the Natural Gas Purchase and Sale Agreement and founded the specialized company TAPI Ltd.
The TAPI Steering Committee held the meetings in Ashgabat In November 2014, in Islamabad in February 2015 and in Kabul in March. Currently, the talks on the TAPI gas pipeline project are nearing completion. As soon as the leader of the Consortium is elected in September this year, the project will be launched.
Touching upon the aspects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the Turkmen leader said that the volume of bilateral trade had remained stable at US$ 185-190 million over the last three years. Ample opportunities to increase bilateral trade exist today. The non-state sector of the national economies currently covers about 40 per cent of mutual trade turnover, therefore resources of small- and medium-sized businesses should be engaged more widely in bilateral cooperation. In this regard, the proposal to adopt the plan or programme of action for a certain period in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries was put forward.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also noted that the new areas of partnership could include the purchase of mineral fertilizers produced in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan stood ready to consider the proposals for cooperation with Indian partners in the agricultural, textile, information technology, construction and medical industries, etc.
The strategic areas of interstate cooperation also include the transport sector. Currently, Turkmen experts are considering the proposal of the Indian side on the accession to the North-South transport corridor project that aims at linking the Indian port of Mumbai with the sea ports of Iran and the Persian Gulf. The project will provide the outlets to the Caspian region and further to Europe.
The President of Turkmenistan focused on the important role of the recently built Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway in promoting the aforesaid project. Currently, the work on the implementation of the quadripartite project of the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman transit transport corridor is under way; it provides for the involvement of Indian partners as well.
Bilateral relations in education develop; currently, about 200 young citizens of Turkmenistan are receiving education in India. Long-term partnership in the framework of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme successfully develops. Moreover, Turkmen students who have received scholarships of by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations are studying in India.
The Training and Production Centre at Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction has been operating since 2002 and the Turkmen-Indian Centre for Information Technology at Magtymguly Turkmen State University – since 2011. The Division of the Indian Language was opened at the Department of Oriental Languages of D. Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages. The Turkmen leader said that cooperation in the study of history and culture of the two nations effectively developed, noting that the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan was actively contributing to this work.
Emphasis was also placed on the important role of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in science and technology that provided for enhanced cooperation in the spheres of renewable energy, seismology and ecology.
Dwelling on the telecommunications sector as a priority area of cooperation, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the potential for intensifying cooperation in the context of the launch of the first artificial communications satellite of Turkmenistan. The spheres of astronomy, biotechnology and nanotechnology open up ample opportunities for partnership.
Cooperation in the healthcare sector is deemed to be promising. The Turkmen leader said that the new areas of cooperation in the healthcare sector could include the study of ancient Indian medicine in our country that the opening of the Yoga Centre in Ashgabat would contribute to.
Stressing that India was among the first countries to support neutrality of Turkmenistan, first within the Non-Aligned Movement and then within the United Nations, the Turkmen leader thanked the distinguished guest for this support. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the philosophy of life in peace and without violence – the philosophy of the spiritual leader of the Indian people Mahatma Gandhi, whose monument had been opened in Ashgabat on that day, provided the ideological and moral foundations for neutrality of Turkmenistan. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited the Prime Minister of India to take part in the international conference and celebrations in honour of the 20th anniversary of neutrality of Turkmenistan, which will take place in Ashgabat in December this year.
After the talks had concluded, the ceremony of signing bilateral documents took place. These include the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in tourism, the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in yoga and traditional medicine and the Programme of Cooperation in science and technology for 2015-2017, among others.
The Agreement on cooperation in sport between the State Committee for Sports of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Foreign Service Institute at the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, the Memorandum of Understanding on the supply of chemical products between the Turkmenhimiya State Concern and PSU Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers of the Republic of India.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi adopted the Joint Statement.
The talks focused on aspects of foreign policy cooperation and collaboration within the major international organisations, particularly the United Nations. It was noted that Turkmenistan had supported India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council as well as its election to other international organisations. India advocated the international initiatives of Turkmenistan, approved by the United Nations General Assembly. In particular, India co-sponsored the resolutions on the energy and transport sectors adopted by this authoritative organisation.
Noting the similarity of the principles and approaches taken by the sides to address new challenges of our time, such as international terrorism, religious extremism, transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that our country stood for the early adoption of the Universal Anti-Terrorism Convention of the United Nations.
Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. In this regard, the Turkmen leader emphasized the importance of restoring social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan as soon as possible and implementing the important projects aimed at its speedy integration into the system of regional and global economic relations. We attach particular importance to the involvement of Afghanistan in the implementation of ambitious infrastructure projects. These include the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
Dwelling upon the progress in implementing the transnational TAPI project, the Turkmen leader noted that much work had been over the past five years. The leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India signed the framework agreement for the TAPI gas pipeline project. The sides signed the Natural Gas Purchase and Sale Agreement and founded the specialized company TAPI Ltd.
The TAPI Steering Committee held the meetings in Ashgabat In November 2014, in Islamabad in February 2015 and in Kabul in March. Currently, the talks on the TAPI gas pipeline project are nearing completion. As soon as the leader of the Consortium is elected in September this year, the project will be launched.
Touching upon the aspects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the Turkmen leader said that the volume of bilateral trade had remained stable at US$ 185-190 million over the last three years. Ample opportunities to increase bilateral trade exist today. The non-state sector of the national economies currently covers about 40 per cent of mutual trade turnover, therefore resources of small- and medium-sized businesses should be engaged more widely in bilateral cooperation. In this regard, the proposal to adopt the plan or programme of action for a certain period in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries was put forward.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also noted that the new areas of partnership could include the purchase of mineral fertilizers produced in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan stood ready to consider the proposals for cooperation with Indian partners in the agricultural, textile, information technology, construction and medical industries, etc.
The strategic areas of interstate cooperation also include the transport sector. Currently, Turkmen experts are considering the proposal of the Indian side on the accession to the North-South transport corridor project that aims at linking the Indian port of Mumbai with the sea ports of Iran and the Persian Gulf. The project will provide the outlets to the Caspian region and further to Europe.
The President of Turkmenistan focused on the important role of the recently built Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway in promoting the aforesaid project. Currently, the work on the implementation of the quadripartite project of the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman transit transport corridor is under way; it provides for the involvement of Indian partners as well.
Bilateral relations in education develop; currently, about 200 young citizens of Turkmenistan are receiving education in India. Long-term partnership in the framework of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme successfully develops. Moreover, Turkmen students who have received scholarships of by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations are studying in India.
The Training and Production Centre at Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction has been operating since 2002 and the Turkmen-Indian Centre for Information Technology at Magtymguly Turkmen State University – since 2011. The Division of the Indian Language was opened at the Department of Oriental Languages of D. Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages. The Turkmen leader said that cooperation in the study of history and culture of the two nations effectively developed, noting that the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan was actively contributing to this work.
Emphasis was also placed on the important role of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in science and technology that provided for enhanced cooperation in the spheres of renewable energy, seismology and ecology.
Dwelling on the telecommunications sector as a priority area of cooperation, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the potential for intensifying cooperation in the context of the launch of the first artificial communications satellite of Turkmenistan. The spheres of astronomy, biotechnology and nanotechnology open up ample opportunities for partnership.
Cooperation in the healthcare sector is deemed to be promising. The Turkmen leader said that the new areas of cooperation in the healthcare sector could include the study of ancient Indian medicine in our country that the opening of the Yoga Centre in Ashgabat would contribute to.
Stressing that India was among the first countries to support neutrality of Turkmenistan, first within the Non-Aligned Movement and then within the United Nations, the Turkmen leader thanked the distinguished guest for this support. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the philosophy of life in peace and without violence – the philosophy of the spiritual leader of the Indian people Mahatma Gandhi, whose monument had been opened in Ashgabat on that day, provided the ideological and moral foundations for neutrality of Turkmenistan. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited the Prime Minister of India to take part in the international conference and celebrations in honour of the 20th anniversary of neutrality of Turkmenistan, which will take place in Ashgabat in December this year.
After the talks had concluded, the ceremony of signing bilateral documents took place. These include the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in tourism, the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in yoga and traditional medicine and the Programme of Cooperation in science and technology for 2015-2017, among others.
The Agreement on cooperation in sport between the State Committee for Sports of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of India, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Foreign Service Institute at the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, the Memorandum of Understanding on the supply of chemical products between the Turkmenhimiya State Concern and PSU Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers of the Republic of India.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi adopted the Joint Statement.