The Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan made statements to the press

During President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's state visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan made statements to the press.

Warmly welcoming President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and members of the Turkmen delegation, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that this historic visit is clear evidence of the special close relations established between the fraternal countries.

The President of Uzbekistan noted that the results of cooperation were discussed in detail and expressed confidence that the talks, which covered all areas of bilateral cooperation, will be important for developing relations, further strengthening strategic interstate cooperation, and taking it to new heights.

In recent years, mutual trade has grown significantly. Particularly important is the Shavat-Dashoguz border trade zone, whose commissioning ceremony President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and I attended today. We intend to apply this experience in other border areas, primarily in the Alat-Farab region, the President of Uzbekistan said.

Energy issues received considerable attention during the talks, said President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, noting that the parties reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening cooperation in the supply and transit of electricity and the implementation of joint projects in the two countries.

Interregional cooperation, which is of great interest and a promising format for interaction, is one of the priority areas, the President of Uzbekistan continued, noting that this was made possible through joint efforts.

The importance of continuing the practice of mutual support within the UN and other international organizations was acknowledged. Noting with satisfaction the complete convergence of positions on all important issues on the regional and international agendas, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that the current state visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is intended to contribute to strengthening the centuries-old ties of friendship and good-neighborliness.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov then delivered his speech.

The Head of Turkmenistan first expressed deep gratitude to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for the warm welcome and constructive, substantive talks. It was noted that during the state visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, important areas for the further development of interstate cooperation were identified, and a number of significant documents aimed at deepening Turkmen-Uzbek ties were signed.

The Head of Turkmenistan noted that during the talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues were discussed, and views were exchanged on current aspects of the regional and international agenda of mutual interest.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that special attention was paid to cooperation within international and regional organizations, primarily the UN. In this context, sincere gratitude was expressed to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for his continued support of Turkmenistan's international initiatives.

At the same time, the importance of the opening of the Dashoguz-Shavat Trade Center, a border trade zone, was emphasized. The discussion also focused on cooperation in energy, transport and communications, industry, agriculture, ecology, and environmental protection.

In the field of transport, the parties will continue their close cooperation to develop a modern infrastructure that will unite the transport systems of Central Asia and provide our countries with access to major international routes. In this regard, the Head of state noted that the proposal to utilize the capabilities of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport has been reiterated and the importance of intensifying efforts to expeditiously implement the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-Qatar transport route project was emphasized.

The need to further improve the activities of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was particularly emphasized.

To further strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries, the parties expressed their readiness to develop cooperation in the humanitarian sphere – in the areas of culture, education, science, healthcare, physical education, and sports.

In conclusion, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed his deep gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the members of the Uzbek delegation for their hospitality, attention, and the extensive work accomplished during the current meeting.

Then, Presidents Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev departed for Tashkent International Airport.

The Heads of the two friendly states, expressing satisfaction with the results of the high-level talks and the agreements reached, reaffirmed their readiness to further develop cooperation.

* * *

During President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's state visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, members of the Turkmen delegation held bilateral meetings with their Uzbek counterparts to discuss opportunities for developing partnerships in areas of mutual interest.