Three Turkic leaders pledge to boost relations
The leaders of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey
agreed to increase economic and trade cooperation during a
trilateral summit held in the Caspian coastal city of Turkmenbashi
on Saturday.
The three countries also pledged to jointly work in the energy sector as well as in transport and communications, Turkmen media said. Details regarding the agreements reached at the closed-door talks have not been disclosed.
The nations further announced they would conduct consultations on the highest inter-governmental levels to exchange visits of high-ranking delegations and hold joint forums.
"This is our first such meeting and I am confident that its results will serve common goals and provide a new incentive to further considerable cooperation," Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said upon completion of the summit.
Turkish leader Abdullah Gul described his meeting with Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov as an example for the entire Turkic world.
"The talks were aimed at further rapprochement and taking relations and cooperation among the three countries to an even higher level," Gul said upon return from the Central Asian state.
Gul emphasized that the parties had discussed "not only specific topics but also the widest range of issues." In particular, the presidents sought to consider matters regarding energy cooperation, including supplies of natural gas to Europe.
Gul said Turkey was interested in the movement of large quantities of Caspian fuel through its territory, which is a focus of Ankara`s energy strategy.
"We discussed in detail issues of cooperation in the fields of economics, culture, politics and energy," the Turkish president said. "But I would like for such negotiations not to be confined to energy-related themes, but also enable us to evaluate regional and international projects."
The Azerbaijani leader attaches great importance to the tripartite meeting, Azerbaijan`s state news agency, Azertag, reported. President Aliyev also expressed confidence that the talks held in Turkmenistan would produce favorable results. "This meeting will be successful for the strengthening of cooperation among our countries."
Aliyev noted that Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey are linked by a common history, language and cultural roots.
"On these grounds, the three countries are pursuing independent policies, and we are striving toward the development of these traditionally friendly and fraternal relations."
The Azerbaijani president had a one-on-one meeting with his counterpart Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat on Friday where exports of energy resources from the region to world markets and ways of ensuring regional security were discussed.
Aliyev told a joint news briefing, after talks with Berdymukhamedov on Friday, that Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were playing an important role in the world`s energy security while meeting their energy needs. He emphasized that his country`s relations with the Central Asian state were developing at a quick pace.
"Our countries` location in the same geographic zone creates new opportunities for deepening ties, which gives an impetus to the development of relations in the political, economic, social, humanitarian and energy fields."
In his remarks, Berdymukhamedov said that Turkmen-Azeri collaboration was developing in a variety of fields. "Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are cooperating in the area of energy resources and there is a mutual understanding between the two countries."
Also, Berdymukhamedov noted that bilateral commodities turnover has increased eight times over the past nine months.
According to Azerbaijan`s State Statistics Committee, the figure exceeded $53 million from January-October. The South Caucasus republic exported goods worth $11.89m to Turkmenistan, while imports amounted to $41.5m.
Berdymukhamedov also pointed out the advances in cooperation in the area of transport.
A number of documents were signed during President Aliyev`s official visit to Ashgabat. These included an agreement between the two transport ministries on arranging cargo transportation via railways and ferries through the Baku and Turkmenbashi ports. The parties also signed an agreement regarding the Azeri-Turkmen inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation. The two countries` education ministries signed a cooperation agreement, as well.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan had been strained since 1997 due to the dispute over the Kapaz field in the Caspian Sea, a source of huge hydrocarbon reserves, as well as the issue of Azerbaijan`s previous debt for gas supplies from Turkmenistan. The Turkmen ambassador in Baku was recalled in 2001 due to the dispute. However, after a new president was elected in Turkmenistan in 2006 to replace the country`s long-standing ruler, Saparmurat Niyazov, a rapprochement began in Azeri-Turkmen relations and talks on the legal status of the Caspian Sea reconvened.
This January, Baku and Ashgabat resumed the work of the joint commission on economic cooperation. Furthermore, talks on the delineation of the Caspian shoreline were held. In March, Turkmenistan sent its ambassador to the Azerbaijani capital. Since then, the two countries have settled the gas debt issue and progress has been reached on the division of the Caspian seabed.
The three countries also pledged to jointly work in the energy sector as well as in transport and communications, Turkmen media said. Details regarding the agreements reached at the closed-door talks have not been disclosed.
The nations further announced they would conduct consultations on the highest inter-governmental levels to exchange visits of high-ranking delegations and hold joint forums.
"This is our first such meeting and I am confident that its results will serve common goals and provide a new incentive to further considerable cooperation," Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said upon completion of the summit.
Turkish leader Abdullah Gul described his meeting with Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov as an example for the entire Turkic world.
"The talks were aimed at further rapprochement and taking relations and cooperation among the three countries to an even higher level," Gul said upon return from the Central Asian state.
Gul emphasized that the parties had discussed "not only specific topics but also the widest range of issues." In particular, the presidents sought to consider matters regarding energy cooperation, including supplies of natural gas to Europe.
Gul said Turkey was interested in the movement of large quantities of Caspian fuel through its territory, which is a focus of Ankara`s energy strategy.
"We discussed in detail issues of cooperation in the fields of economics, culture, politics and energy," the Turkish president said. "But I would like for such negotiations not to be confined to energy-related themes, but also enable us to evaluate regional and international projects."
The Azerbaijani leader attaches great importance to the tripartite meeting, Azerbaijan`s state news agency, Azertag, reported. President Aliyev also expressed confidence that the talks held in Turkmenistan would produce favorable results. "This meeting will be successful for the strengthening of cooperation among our countries."
Aliyev noted that Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey are linked by a common history, language and cultural roots.
"On these grounds, the three countries are pursuing independent policies, and we are striving toward the development of these traditionally friendly and fraternal relations."
The Azerbaijani president had a one-on-one meeting with his counterpart Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat on Friday where exports of energy resources from the region to world markets and ways of ensuring regional security were discussed.
Aliyev told a joint news briefing, after talks with Berdymukhamedov on Friday, that Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were playing an important role in the world`s energy security while meeting their energy needs. He emphasized that his country`s relations with the Central Asian state were developing at a quick pace.
"Our countries` location in the same geographic zone creates new opportunities for deepening ties, which gives an impetus to the development of relations in the political, economic, social, humanitarian and energy fields."
In his remarks, Berdymukhamedov said that Turkmen-Azeri collaboration was developing in a variety of fields. "Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are cooperating in the area of energy resources and there is a mutual understanding between the two countries."
Also, Berdymukhamedov noted that bilateral commodities turnover has increased eight times over the past nine months.
According to Azerbaijan`s State Statistics Committee, the figure exceeded $53 million from January-October. The South Caucasus republic exported goods worth $11.89m to Turkmenistan, while imports amounted to $41.5m.
Berdymukhamedov also pointed out the advances in cooperation in the area of transport.
A number of documents were signed during President Aliyev`s official visit to Ashgabat. These included an agreement between the two transport ministries on arranging cargo transportation via railways and ferries through the Baku and Turkmenbashi ports. The parties also signed an agreement regarding the Azeri-Turkmen inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation. The two countries` education ministries signed a cooperation agreement, as well.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan had been strained since 1997 due to the dispute over the Kapaz field in the Caspian Sea, a source of huge hydrocarbon reserves, as well as the issue of Azerbaijan`s previous debt for gas supplies from Turkmenistan. The Turkmen ambassador in Baku was recalled in 2001 due to the dispute. However, after a new president was elected in Turkmenistan in 2006 to replace the country`s long-standing ruler, Saparmurat Niyazov, a rapprochement began in Azeri-Turkmen relations and talks on the legal status of the Caspian Sea reconvened.
This January, Baku and Ashgabat resumed the work of the joint commission on economic cooperation. Furthermore, talks on the delineation of the Caspian shoreline were held. In March, Turkmenistan sent its ambassador to the Azerbaijani capital. Since then, the two countries have settled the gas debt issue and progress has been reached on the division of the Caspian seabed.
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