Turkmenistan e Kazakhstan: incontro ufficiale tra i due presidenti e inaugurazione del “North-South transport corridor”
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived in Kazakhstan on a state visit yesterday. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Idrisov and other officials greeted the leader of Turkmenistan at the international airport in Astana. Turkmen-Kazakh top-level talks were held at the Ak Orda Palace of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral relations and specified priority areas of partnership. Dwelling upon the transport sector as a key area of bilateral cooperation, the sides paid particular attention to the upcoming ceremony of putting the Turkmen-Kazakh section of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran transnational railway into operation. The leaders of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan exchanged views on a number of issues of regional and international politics during the one-to-one talks.
Then the government delegations of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan joined in the talks. The agenda focused on cooperation in the economic and humanitarian spheres and in the international arena. Emphasis was placed on a stable increase in trade between the two countries as illustrated by bilateral trade turnover which raised more than a third and amounted to US$ 224 million in 2012. Then the ceremony of signing bilateral documents took place.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev affixed their signatures to the Joint Communiqué.
The Protocol on Cooperation and the Programme for Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan for 2013-2014, the Agreement between the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan and the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Rail Transport of Turkmenistan and the Joint Stock Company “Kazakstan Temir Joly National Company” were signed in the presence of the two leaders.
After the signing ceremony the leader of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan gave a press conference. President Nursultan Nazarbaev noted that the bilateral talks had focused on a wide range of issues and the prospects of cross-border and investment cooperation, emphasizing that putting of the section of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway into operation could be regarded as a historic moment of multifaceted partnership. President Nursultan Nazarbaev said the sides had agreed to hold the Days of Culture of Kazakhstan in Turkmenistan and the Days of Culture of Turkmenistan in Kazakhstan. President Nursultan Nazarbaev said the sides had agreed to open the Consulate of Turkmenistan in Aktau and the Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Turkmenbashi.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the constructive atmosphere of the talks that had resulted in signing the package of bilateral documents in a number of new areas of cooperation. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on active bilateral cooperation to ensure peace, stability and security in Central Asia. The Turkmen leader focused on the mutual understanding and similarity of approaches of the two countries to such pressing issues as the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, the prospects for multilateral cooperation in the Caspian Sea region and the saving of the Aral Sea.
The President of Turkmenistan noted that the sides had agreed to promote fruitful cooperation within the international organisations to ensure security, stability and sustainable development in the region. The Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said the sides had agreed to build up trade and economic partnership, including in the energy and transport sectors as its priority area. The Turkmen leader focused on the construction of the railway between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan as an example of successful cooperation. Moreover, the sides had agreed to promote and encourage further wide contacts in the spheres of culture, science and education.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev gave an official reception at the Ak orda Palace in honour of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The two leaders exchanged speeches during the reception. In the afternoon President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the Senate Kairat Mami held a bilateral meeting at the building of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. A lively conversation focused on the prospects of international cooperation and promotion of inter-parliamentary contacts. On that day the Turkmen leader left the capital of Kazakhstan for Aktau located on the Caspian seashore in the south-west of the country. The officials of the Republic of Kazakhstan greeted the President of Turkmenistan at the airport of the maritime town. The leader of Turkmenistan headed from the Aktau airport to the residence at the luxury hotel Caspian Riviera Grand Palace.
