Azernews.Az

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is expected to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan in November 2013.

On this occasion, Uzbek President Islam Karimov has sent a message to his Turkmen counterpart. The message was timed to the 22nd anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, which is being celebrated these days.

"Uzbekistan is looking forward to your official visit in November 2013," the letter says. "This will give a new impetus to further strengthening and development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries."

In his message Karimov also expressed confidence that the multifaceted Uzbek-Turkmen relations, based on the solid principles of friendship, good neighborliness, mutual support and respect, will steadily develop and strengthen in the interest and for the benefit of the two countries and nations.

Ashgabat and Tashkent are exploring ways to increase mutual investments, implement mutually beneficial projects in various sectors and diversify their interaction. The two countries plan to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion over the next two years.

The two Central Asian countries regularly discuss such issues as the situation in Afghanistan, the problems of the Aral Sea and cross-border rivers at a high level.

The two countries are connected by a number of major economic projects. In particular, a gas pipeline was opened from Turkmenistan to China via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in December 2009. The sides are also considering the possibility of cooperation in the implementation of a railway project that would link Central Asia with the Persian Gulf countries.