Turkmenistan committed to develop long-term relation with Azerbaijan
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkmenistan is committed to develop long-term partnership with Azerbaijan on an equal and mutually beneficial basis.
This remark was made by Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdymukhamedov at a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister, ADA University's Rector, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev, local
media said on September 2.
Pashayev conveyed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's warm
greetings to President Berdymukhamedov, as well as Azerbaijani
president's wishes for happiness, peace and prosperity to the
Turkmen people and their leader.
Turkmen president, for his part, expressed his best wishes to the
leadership and people of Azerbaijan.
During the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on the current
state and prospects of further development of the
Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations.
President Berdymukhamedov and Deputy FM Pashayev noted with
satisfaction the last few years' tendency towards convergence of
national interests.
They also underscored significant strengthening of trade and
economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as enhancement of
cooperation in the sectors of energy and fuel, transport and
communication.
The main topic of discussion between two sides was the possibility
of cooperating in the education sector.
Pashayev also attended the opening ceremony of the International
University of Humanities and Development in Ashgabat on September
2.
He expressed confidence that given the Turkmen president's great
attention to improve the national education system, a new
generation of citizens will have very good opportunities to get an
education at international levels.
He also said the existing constructive dialogue became possible
solely through the trusting relations, based on mutual respect
between the two presidents. They fully support intensifying and
expanding the inter-state relations in all areas, as well as
Turkmenistan's and Azerbaijan's full understanding of key issues of
cooperation, successfully established multilaterally, as well as
within international organizations.
Pashayev also noted being neighbors in the Caspian region, the
countries are strategic partners in the search for the most
appropriate ways to resolve current relevant issues. The most
important of them is to ensure global energy security.
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the two Caspian littoral countries with rich hydrocarbon reserves are interested in using alternative routes for delivering energy resources of the Caspian region to Europe.
The recent intensification of Turkmen oil transportation via Azerbaijan can be referred to as a brilliant example of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
The Azerbaijani State Customs Committee said the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $88.15 million in 2013. More than half of this volume fell to the import of Turkmen production to Azerbaijan. Its volume amounted to $48.3 million. The exports from Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan amounted to $39.85 million.