Ashgabat and Tashkent stimulate progressive development of region
The friendship, good-neighborliness and cooperation between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are stronger today than ever, said Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan Shiri Shiriyev in an interview with the National News Agency UzA.
According to Ambassador, the summit meetings between the presidents of the two fraternal countries, who met twice already this year, and the signed Treaty on Strategic Partnership have laid a powerful basis for the development of multi-vector interaction.
"... Friendship, good-neighborhood, close trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation, mutual understanding on foreign policy issues not only meet the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries, but also serve as key factors for maintaining stability and security in Central Asia and beyond," - quoted Ambassador the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov during an interview.
The head of Turkmen diplomatic mission has drawn attention to the invariability of the positions of both countries regarding to regional security issues. Ashgabat and Tashkent stand for elaboration of effective mechanisms for the progressive development of Central Asia, the strengthening of the bonds of good-neighborliness, and the observance of mutual interests. The two neighbors believe that peaceful settlement in Afghanistan is possible only on the basis of interethnic dialogue.
Sustainable energy is another juncture point in Turkmen-Uzbek relationship. In this context, Ambassador referred to Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline project, designed to supply up to 25 billion cubic meters of gas annually to China.
Shiriyev highlighted the progress achieved by the countries in implementing joint transport projects in two areas.
First, both countries are ready to combine efforts for setting up connectivity between transport systems of Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East through the creation of corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Caspian Sea- South Caucasus with access to the Black Sea ports of Georgia, Turkey, Romania and other countries. And, concrete steps have already been taken: road and railway bridges across the Amu Darya with a length of 1600 and 1750 meters are being been successfully operated.
Secondly, the sides are stepping up work on the promotion of international transport-transit corridor Central Asia-Middle East.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have established a mutually beneficial ties in several other areas such as industry, agriculture, engineering, tourism.
Touching upon the cultural and humanitarian cooperation, Ambassador Shiriyev called the Turkmen and Uzbek peoples the successors and bearers of the richest cultural and scientific traditions.
According to the high-ranking diplomat, Uzbekistan intends to encourage mutual interest in the art and literature through regular scientific and cultural exchanges.
“Both countries have good grounds to look to be optimistic about the future and confidently make plans of joint activities for the long term," concluded the Ambassador of Turkmenistan.
