Meeting with Speaker of Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov

Speaker of Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Berdimuhamedov Gurbanguly : We are delighted to welcome you to Turkmenistan.
Thank you for accepting our invitation, for undertaking this working visit and for your attendance at the international forum marking the 300th birth
anniversary of Magtymguly Pyragy.
He is our national writer and philosopher, just
like Pushkin, Dostoevsky and so many others in your country. They were all
thought leaders with a very pragmatic vision, and today, all of their ideas are
becoming a reality.
Therefore, we are very glad that this year
Russia has also been proactive on this topic, and has done a great deal in terms of unveiling monuments and busts, naming a school after Magtymguly Pyragy
and holding various commemorative and cultural events. I want to thank you for your personal contribution to these efforts. In fact, throughout centuries, the humanitarian, that is, cultural dimension has always brought us closer together,
which is especially true for the people of Turkmenistan and Russia. The President of Turkmenistan has signed an executive order on presenting you with an anniversary medal for your personal contribution to this cause, and I would
like to congratulate you on this occasion.
Of course, we hope that you will continue this
state policy and wish you every success in your endeavours. In expressing my gratitude to you, I would like to thank the entire Russian nation and wish its people
all the best and prosperity.
Once again, we are glad to see you. Welcome to Ashgabat.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you
very much, Mr Berdimuhamedov. I am also delighted to see you. In fact, we have
not met for quite some time, and I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to have
this face-to-face meeting with you and this conversation.
Russia and Turkmenistan have built a positive track
record in promoting their strategic partnership, which is largely attributable
to your efforts. You laid the groundwork for forging this close, trust-based
relationship between our countries. We sincerely welcome this position and will
do everything to maintain this momentum.
We have developed a positive relationship with the current President, which includes both official and personal ties. He regularly
visits Russia, and was there just recently for the CIS summit in Moscow. We look forward to seeing him in Kazan at the BRICS Leaders’
Summit. I believe that these meetings will be quite interesting and beneficial.
There will be many countries there. In fact, as of today, 35 countries have
registered to attend the summit. We also expect to see your President at the CIS leaders’ meeting in St Petersburg on New Year’s Eve.
There has been positive momentum in our trade
and economic ties, and effective projects are underway. We will do everything
we can to promote them.
Inter-parliamentary ties have been developing
on a positive note, too. The State Duma Speaker [Vyacheslav Volodin] has
visited…
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: Valentina
Matviyenko has also visited us.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, and their colleagues also
visit Russia, including you.
We see progress in our region-to-region ties.
In fact, 60 Russian regions have been working closely with their friends and partners in Turkmenistan. It is quite natural for Tatarstan, the Astrakhan
Region, as well as St Petersburg to lead the pack in this category. This has always
been the case, including when you were President, and this tradition continues.
There are also new opportunities, and the intergovernmental
commission is doing its job.
We will always be delighted to see you in Russia, be it on an official visit or in your personal capacity.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, I would like to congratulate
you on the successful holding of this major event. As I have already said in my remarks, it is very timely. Why? Because there are so many challenges and conflicts
around the world, and the Turkmen thinker whose 300th birth
anniversary we are marking today together, called on all of us, the entire
humankind, to find solutions to challenging issues and build people-to-people
ties.
Thank you for inviting me.
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