al-Hasani
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Nazarguly Shagulyev
RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO
Published — Friday 13 December 2013
Last update 13 December 2013 2:28 am
Turkmenistan seeks long-term cultural and economic ties with Saudi Arabia, the country's ambassador said here recently.
In a wide-ranging interview with Arab News, Nazarguly Shagulyev also said that his country wants to host the Cultural Days of Saudi Arabia in 2014, while Saudi Arabia will do the same for Turkmenistan in 2015. The two countries hosted these events in 2009 and 2011.
He said business and trade ties between the two countries continue to grow. The Turkmenistan capital hosted the second meeting of the joint intergovernmental Turkmenistan-Saudi Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation in February this year, which was attended by ministers and senior officials from both countries.
“A leading Saudi business delegation led by Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah visited Ashgabat to cement further Turkmenistan-Saudi cooperation, particularly in areas such as fuel and energy, trade, investment, agriculture, science, education, culture and tourism," Shagulyev said.
He said Turkmenistan's foreign policy under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is to ensure friendly and mutually beneficial relations with countries in the Arab world.
“It should be noted that Saudi Arabia occupies a special position in Turkmenistan’s foreign policy relations. It is quite symbolic that President Berdimuhamedov first visited Saudi Arabia soon after his election in April 2007," he said
“This first foreign visit was based on the historical, cultural and spiritual ties of the two nations, united by a common desire for peace and prosperity. The establishment of mutual trust at the highest level was clear evidence of the Turkmenistan leadership’s commitment to actively expand relations with the Middle East, under clearly identified priority areas of cooperation.
“Our people have maintained close trade and cultural relations for many centuries, which have acquired new meaning and content in the modern era.”
He said the recent history of constructive cooperation between Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia started on Feb. 22, 1992, with the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Having signed a joint communiqué, the parties have taken important steps to further expand and deepen their partnership, Shagulyev said. “Today Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia are totally committed to the development of multidimensional cooperation in the political, trade, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Importantly, we have similar approaches or identical views on many topical issues of bilateral cooperation and international life.
“The intensive development of bilateral ties in many ways contributed to the opening of diplomatic missions in the capitals of the two states. This certainly is the next step toward deepening the partnership.
“In order to enhance trade and economic relations, the parties established a Joint Saudi-Turkmenistan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, which is a fruitful bilateral cooperation mechanism.”
Shagulyev said officials from the two nations have actively participated in international economic and business forums, conferences and exhibitions held in both countries.
“I would like to wish Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah good health and a long life, prosperity, progress and stability for the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, and progress in relations between the two countries."
Shagulyev said Turkmenistan celebrates its national day on Dec. 12, having become an independent state after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Turkmenistan's growth rate was 11 percent in 2012 on the back of several years of sustained high growth because it possesses the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas.
Turkmenistan seeks long-term relations | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.
