President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who arrived in the People’s Republic of China on a working visit, took part in the 12th Meeting of the Council of Heads of the SCO Member States as a Guest of Honour.
Opening the Summit and greeting participants of the meeting, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao underlined in his address the importance of further strengthening and enhancing constructive cooperation of the SCO member states to ensure the regional and international peace and stability, encouraging comprehensive development.
Then, according to the regulations, the floor was given to the forum participants.
Addressing those present, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Chairman Hu Jintao for inviting me to participate in this important and high-level meeting as a guest of honour and expressed gratitude to the Chinese people for their hospitality and hearty welcome.
The Turkmen leader noted that the implementation of the strategy of Turkmenistan for international cooperation and economic partnership was based on its commitment to broad geographical and structural diversification of our external relations and active involvement in the influential, mainstream processes of world development. This entails consistently building up cooperation of Turkmenistan with particular countries on a bilateral basis as well as with interstate alliances which have common interests and share the principles of equal mutually beneficial cooperation in the name of development and progress.
“It is this that underlies our respect to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Member States of the Organisation and observer countries are the long-term partners of Turkmenistan, our neighbours and friends,” said the Turkmen leader. “We view therefore the development of relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in harmonious connection with the progressive course of bilateral cooperation as well as the general aim of our involvement in regional and global processes. We highly evaluate the potential of collaboration of Turkmenistan with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Its spectrum is quite wide – energy, transport, communications, trade and culture”.
“The significant prospects for developing complex pipeline infrastructure to transit energy from Central Asia to China, countries of southern Asia and the Middle East, in my opinion, are opened up today in the energy sector. The success and viability of these plans are evidenced by the pipelines built from Turkmenistan to China and Iran in recent years. Another strategic project – the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline is in the implementation phase.”
Expressing belief that the construction of diversified pipeline infrastructure of continental significance is an imperative of modern times, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the implementation of these projects would offer a powerful impetus to economic development in the region and beyond it and give an incentive to external investors. According to the Turkmen leader Turkmenistan is open to constructive discussion and development of joint plans in this field, and is ready to offer our tremendous resource potential, the advantages of geo-economical location and the existing experience of partnership in implementing ambitious energy projects to fulfil them.
“Not less important, in our opinion, is cooperation with SCO Member States in the transport sector”, the Turkmen leader said. The President of Turkmenistan noted that the prospects for optimizing the transport network in the directions north-south, east-west through motor, rail and maritime traffic that would connect vast expanses from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea, from the north of the European continent to the Indian Ocean were deemed to be practical today. “Turkmenistan is interested in increasing trade with SCO Member States, diversifying export-import operations, adopting expertise and technologies to modernize our infrastructure, developing joint agricultural projects and intensifying partnership between business organisations”. Speaking about it, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief in that the joint potential would allow building such relations at the mutually beneficial and log-term basis.
The Turkmen leader noted that the revival of the Great Silk Rod gained tremendous significance in the context of the above-mentioned. “Starting from the ancient Chinese capital Xian and lying across the territory of our countries, the Great Silk Road had served as a large trade artery over many centuries. It united the civilizations, facilitated the wide cultural, humanitarian exchange between nations and played a crucial role in their unity and mutual cognition as well. Turkmenistan contributes to these positive processes at the present stage as well as over many centuries. I firmly believe that today our countries have all the necessary political and economic possibilities to give the Great Silk Road its worthy historical perspective”, the Turkmen leader said. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated in this context that Turkmenistan standed ready for closest partnership, and proposed that a high-level international forum on the prospects of the Great Silk Road in the 21st century would be held in 2013.
“Cooperation with the SCO is a critical aspect of the foreign policy strategy of Turkmenistan aimed at ensuring steady and balanced development of regional processes, building up economic and trade cooperation and facilitating the implementation of ambitious international infrastructure projects. We also consider the prospects of our cooperation with the SCO in fostering interregional relations and using in full the existing potential of our countries to facilitate integrated and equal integration in the world economy”.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan highly evaluated the constructive, balanced and responsible position the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation towards strengthening peace, international and regional stability and security, responding to challenges and threats of the 21st century and building a fair system of intergovernmental relations. Underlining the readiness of our country for active collaboration with the SCO in fulfilling these critical tasks, the Turkmen leader proposed to concert the efforts to promote the specific proposals in the United Nations to enhance collective measures for strengthening regional and international security and developing the systematic multilateral conflict prevention mechanisms.
In this regard, focusing on the issues related to the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, the President of Turkmenistan noted that Turkmenistan as the nearest neighbour of Afghanistan was interested in the speedy socio-economic recovery of this brotherly country and the establishment of longstanding peace and cohesion in the Afghan land. The Turkmen leader underlined the readiness of the Turkmen side to work with SCO Member States and Afghanistan on discussion of the ways of settling the situation given the readiness of Turkmenistan based on its status of neutrality to provide its political space for wide international consultation on Afghanistan related problems under the aegis of the United Nations.
The President of Turkmenistan emphasized the outstanding role of the leader of this country, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao in world politics, in building modern global architecture of international relations. Noting that under his wise and forward-looking leadership China has made a significant breakthrough in social and economic development and become an essential factor of sustainability and balance of the system of international relations, a guarantor of stability and security on a global scale, the Turkmen leader expressed deep gratitude to Mr Hu Jintao of his contribution to strengthening global peace, cooperation and mutual understanding between nations and states.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao for his active personal contribution to developing relations between Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China that had gained powerful dynamics and new content. Taking an opportunity the President of Turkmenistan expressed the best wishes of peace, wellbeing and prosperity to the people of China.
That day the President of Turkmenistan left for Ashgabat.
Opening the Summit and greeting participants of the meeting, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao underlined in his address the importance of further strengthening and enhancing constructive cooperation of the SCO member states to ensure the regional and international peace and stability, encouraging comprehensive development.
Then, according to the regulations, the floor was given to the forum participants.
Addressing those present, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Chairman Hu Jintao for inviting me to participate in this important and high-level meeting as a guest of honour and expressed gratitude to the Chinese people for their hospitality and hearty welcome.
The Turkmen leader noted that the implementation of the strategy of Turkmenistan for international cooperation and economic partnership was based on its commitment to broad geographical and structural diversification of our external relations and active involvement in the influential, mainstream processes of world development. This entails consistently building up cooperation of Turkmenistan with particular countries on a bilateral basis as well as with interstate alliances which have common interests and share the principles of equal mutually beneficial cooperation in the name of development and progress.
“It is this that underlies our respect to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Member States of the Organisation and observer countries are the long-term partners of Turkmenistan, our neighbours and friends,” said the Turkmen leader. “We view therefore the development of relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in harmonious connection with the progressive course of bilateral cooperation as well as the general aim of our involvement in regional and global processes. We highly evaluate the potential of collaboration of Turkmenistan with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Its spectrum is quite wide – energy, transport, communications, trade and culture”.
“The significant prospects for developing complex pipeline infrastructure to transit energy from Central Asia to China, countries of southern Asia and the Middle East, in my opinion, are opened up today in the energy sector. The success and viability of these plans are evidenced by the pipelines built from Turkmenistan to China and Iran in recent years. Another strategic project – the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline is in the implementation phase.”
Expressing belief that the construction of diversified pipeline infrastructure of continental significance is an imperative of modern times, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the implementation of these projects would offer a powerful impetus to economic development in the region and beyond it and give an incentive to external investors. According to the Turkmen leader Turkmenistan is open to constructive discussion and development of joint plans in this field, and is ready to offer our tremendous resource potential, the advantages of geo-economical location and the existing experience of partnership in implementing ambitious energy projects to fulfil them.
“Not less important, in our opinion, is cooperation with SCO Member States in the transport sector”, the Turkmen leader said. The President of Turkmenistan noted that the prospects for optimizing the transport network in the directions north-south, east-west through motor, rail and maritime traffic that would connect vast expanses from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea, from the north of the European continent to the Indian Ocean were deemed to be practical today. “Turkmenistan is interested in increasing trade with SCO Member States, diversifying export-import operations, adopting expertise and technologies to modernize our infrastructure, developing joint agricultural projects and intensifying partnership between business organisations”. Speaking about it, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief in that the joint potential would allow building such relations at the mutually beneficial and log-term basis.
The Turkmen leader noted that the revival of the Great Silk Rod gained tremendous significance in the context of the above-mentioned. “Starting from the ancient Chinese capital Xian and lying across the territory of our countries, the Great Silk Road had served as a large trade artery over many centuries. It united the civilizations, facilitated the wide cultural, humanitarian exchange between nations and played a crucial role in their unity and mutual cognition as well. Turkmenistan contributes to these positive processes at the present stage as well as over many centuries. I firmly believe that today our countries have all the necessary political and economic possibilities to give the Great Silk Road its worthy historical perspective”, the Turkmen leader said. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated in this context that Turkmenistan standed ready for closest partnership, and proposed that a high-level international forum on the prospects of the Great Silk Road in the 21st century would be held in 2013.
“Cooperation with the SCO is a critical aspect of the foreign policy strategy of Turkmenistan aimed at ensuring steady and balanced development of regional processes, building up economic and trade cooperation and facilitating the implementation of ambitious international infrastructure projects. We also consider the prospects of our cooperation with the SCO in fostering interregional relations and using in full the existing potential of our countries to facilitate integrated and equal integration in the world economy”.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan highly evaluated the constructive, balanced and responsible position the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation towards strengthening peace, international and regional stability and security, responding to challenges and threats of the 21st century and building a fair system of intergovernmental relations. Underlining the readiness of our country for active collaboration with the SCO in fulfilling these critical tasks, the Turkmen leader proposed to concert the efforts to promote the specific proposals in the United Nations to enhance collective measures for strengthening regional and international security and developing the systematic multilateral conflict prevention mechanisms.
In this regard, focusing on the issues related to the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, the President of Turkmenistan noted that Turkmenistan as the nearest neighbour of Afghanistan was interested in the speedy socio-economic recovery of this brotherly country and the establishment of longstanding peace and cohesion in the Afghan land. The Turkmen leader underlined the readiness of the Turkmen side to work with SCO Member States and Afghanistan on discussion of the ways of settling the situation given the readiness of Turkmenistan based on its status of neutrality to provide its political space for wide international consultation on Afghanistan related problems under the aegis of the United Nations.
The President of Turkmenistan emphasized the outstanding role of the leader of this country, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao in world politics, in building modern global architecture of international relations. Noting that under his wise and forward-looking leadership China has made a significant breakthrough in social and economic development and become an essential factor of sustainability and balance of the system of international relations, a guarantor of stability and security on a global scale, the Turkmen leader expressed deep gratitude to Mr Hu Jintao of his contribution to strengthening global peace, cooperation and mutual understanding between nations and states.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao for his active personal contribution to developing relations between Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China that had gained powerful dynamics and new content. Taking an opportunity the President of Turkmenistan expressed the best wishes of peace, wellbeing and prosperity to the people of China.
That day the President of Turkmenistan left for Ashgabat.