Serdar Berdimuhamedov holds talks with the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

On 11 October, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov met with President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, who arrived in our country on a working visit.

Thanking the President of Pakistan for the invitation to visit Turkmenistan, as well as for active participation in the International Forum "Interconnection of Times and Civilisations - the Basis of Peace and Development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Mahtumkuly Fragi, the head of state expressed confidence that the visit of the guest would be an important step in bringing bilateral cooperation to a new level.

The leader of the friendly country praised the organisational level of the international forum and stressed the importance of such events in strengthening interstate cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that since Turkmenistan's independence, Pakistan, being our reliable partner, has always supported the principle of goodwill of our country and the implementation of its international initiatives aimed at ensuring peace, security and sustainable development in the region.

It was emphasised during the meeting that Turkmenistan and Pakistan are linked not only by geographical proximity, but also by deep historical roots, common culture and spiritual values. Our countries have been cooperating effectively for many years and the partnership has been developing dynamically recently.

In this regard, the head of state took the opportunity to thank Asif Ali Zardar for his personal contribution to the expansion of Turkmen-Pakistani interaction.

- We always strive to strengthen fruitful cooperation with Pakistan, the President of Turkmenistan noted, adding that these relations are based on centuries-old traditions of friendship and brotherhood, principles of mutually beneficial and equal partnership.

Joint implementation of such large-scale projects as the transnational Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power transmission line and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan fibre-optic communication is a vivid example of this. In September this year, Turkmenistan assisted in the implementation of the above projects in Afghanistan.

According to the interlocutors, the main condition for the development of Turkmen-Pakistani relations is dialogue at the highest state level based on openness, mutual trust and friendship. Mutual respect and systematic contacts between the leaders of the two countries, as well as the implementation of major projects aimed at strengthening interstate ties serve as a powerful impetus for promoting long-term initiatives.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari exchanged wishes of good health and happiness, and prosperity and well-being to the friendly peoples of our countries.

Source: State news agency