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Astana, Ashgabat to intensify cooperation

19 April 2017 11:30 (UTC+04:00)
Astana, Ashgabat to intensify cooperation

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is on an official visit to Astana, and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev held talks on April 18. The two leaders discussed issues of international politics, regional cooperation, bilateral cooperation, including cultural, humanitarian and social spheres.

Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan came out with unified positions on key issues of the global agenda, said Berdimuhamedov following the talks.

Berdimuhamedov, speaking at the talks in the extended composition of the delegations, stressed that the content of the Turkmen-Kazakh relations is conditioned by full mutual understanding, both in views on the priorities and prospects of the bilateral partnership, and on the tendency of regional and international development.

Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have a common vision for preserving and maintaining universal peace and stability, countering the threats of international terrorism, extremism, and on the peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan.

The president also noted the necessity of creating effective political and diplomatic mechanisms involving international organizations, especially the UN, to normalize the situation in Afghanistan.

He added that Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are ready to render the necessary assistance to the world community to rapidly normalize the situation in Afghanistan and restore the country’s economy and social sphere.

Besides, Berdimuhamedov expressed hope that the Convention on the status of the Caspian Sea will be signed at the next summit of the Caspian states.

The Turkmen leader noted that cooperation in transportation plays a key role in the successful economic development of the two countries, saying that creation of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway is one of the results of this cooperation.

“This railway will bring the economic and trade cooperation between Central Asian countries and neighboring regions to a qualitatively new level, and give a strong momentum to interregional relations in the long term,” he said.

Nazarbayev, in turn, made a point of developing certain aspects of bilateral cooperation, including in the transit-transport and energy spheres, placing greater focus on the availability of great prospects in other areas.

“Today we are finalizing the most important agreement on strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Relations go to a new stage of progress thanks to this agreement. We solve all questions of borders between our countries. These will be the only two countries without any border problems,” the Kazakh leader said.

Following the results of the talks in the expanded format, the leaders of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have made a statement for the media.

Nazarbayev pointed up that the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation chaired by the countries’ Deputy Prime Ministers would play a special role in fulfilling the key tasks of bilateral cooperation.

The president stressed that during the talks the parties paid attention to the issues of improving the contractual and legal framework, participation of enterprises in large infrastructure projects of the two countries, as well as issues of transit and transport cooperation.

Later, the agreement on strategic cooperation between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan was signed.

In addition, Berdimuhamedov and Nazarbayev signed a joint statement and an agreement on conducting demarcation work on the Turkmen-Kazakh state border.

The two countries also signed agreement on demarcation of the Kazakh-Turkmen state border; agreement on the Kazakh-Turkmen Intergovernmental Commission; agreement on mutual protection of classified information; program of cooperation between the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan and the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan for 2017-2018; agreement between the Finance Ministry of Kazakhstan and the Finance Ministry of Turkmenistan on cooperation in countering the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime and terrorism financing; agreement on establishing twinning relations between Astana and Ashgabat; agreement on cooperation between "Atameken", National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan were established on October 5, 1992. The legal framework of bilateral cooperation includes more than 70 documents.

The trade turnover between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for the end of 2015 amounted to $319.7 million, while in January-August of 2016 it was $177.1 million.

Plant products, metal goods, natural calcium phosphate, timber and its products, rolled metal products, as well as flour, confectionary and flour products are major export items of Kazakhstan.

In its turn, Turkmenistan exports to Kazakhstan gas, oil and petroleum products, motor vehicles, fresh and refrigerated tomatoes, engines and power plants.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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