Azerbaijani president to Turkmen leader: "Our meetings send strong messages to world" Photo / Updated

An expanded meeting was held on August 22 between Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, in the city of Turkmenbashi.

As noted by Azertag, greeting the Azerbaijani President and his delegation, Berdimuhamedov expressed his gratitude for their visit, noting the cordial ties between the two nations. He said:

"Thank you very much for accepting the invitation to visit our country. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the hospitality extended to me during my visit to Azerbaijan in July this year. I visited some beautiful and scenic places in Azerbaijan. Important issues were discussed during that visit."

Berdimuhamedov highlighted the historical and cultural bonds linking Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. He added:

"The relations between our countries originate from the depths of history, our traditions are similar, and these are the factors that bring us together. On this basis, we are developing our political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. We will discuss these issues during the current meeting."

Emphasising the significance of the current discussions, he noted:

"Our talks today are giving impetus to our relations. During this meeting, we will review some important issues of cooperation. Our relations are rising to a high level of cooperation, and we attach great importance to their development. I would like to note the tremendous potential for the expansion of our bilateral ties. With this in mind, we will promote new initiatives to develop Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations."

Berdimuhamedov further outlined the areas of economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

"The development of trade and economic cooperation is an important area on the agenda of our relations. A great deal of work has already been done in this area. We have great potential for the further development of these ties, increasing the trade turnover between our countries, expanding cooperation in such areas as energy, transport, and the textile industry."

"Our ties in the cultural and humanitarian sphere represent an important area of cooperation. Their development is of priority importance for us. An important component of cooperation in this context is the holding of mutual Days of Culture, events in the fields of education, culture, tourism, the development of our cultural values – carpet weaving, horse breeding and applied arts. We have every opportunity for the cultural exchange and the development of ties in this area."

Concluding his remarks, Berdimuhamedov conveyed greetings from the President of Turkmenistan and welcomed further dialogue:

"Let me convey to you greetings from the President of Turkmenistan. I am delighted to see you in Turkmenistan. We will continue our dialogue in one of the UN languages. You have the floor."

Addressing Berdimuhamedov, President Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the invitation and hospitality, saying:

“Thank you, dear Gurbanguly Malikguliyevich. My dear brother, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you once again for the invitation and hospitality. I would also like to convey my sincere greetings and love to the brotherly people of Turkmenistan. I am very pleased to be visiting the land of Turkmenistan again.”

Reflecting on their recent meeting in Azerbaijan, he recalled its significance for both nations:

“We met in Azerbaijan last month. That visit had historic significance. Our meetings, both in Baku and in the liberated lands of Karabakh, delighted the Azerbaijani people a lot. The support you have given us is very important and valuable to us. During our conversations, we always looked back at our historical roots. We share a common history, culture, ethnic roots, language and religion. The Turkmen and Azerbaijani peoples are brothers in the true sense of the word and have lived with these feelings of brotherhood for centuries. Today, they are achieving great successes as independent states.”

Commenting on Turkmenistan’s development and its reflection of leadership efforts, Aliyev added:

“I have already told you that the development of Avaza is associated with your name – it is a product of your work. This modern and beautiful city is actually a reflection of the large-scale development taking place in Turkmenistan. I was here at your invitation three years ago, and when I arrived at the airport, I saw that there had been even greater development here. All this is the result of your activities.”

Turning to the prospects for bilateral cooperation, he highlighted areas of strategic importance:

“As you noted, we are successfully cooperating in many areas. I am sure that there are very good prospects in all the areas you mentioned - energy, transport, logistics, transit, digitalization, and cultural relations. After your visit, a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission was held. Many issues were discussed there, excellent results were achieved, and we will discuss several issues here today.”

Aliyev further underscored the potential of transport and infrastructure projects:

“In addition, when we look at transport opportunities, there is already new potential there – the East-West transport corridor passes through the territories of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Of course, our joint activities in this area, the steps aimed at coordination will benefit this vast geography because a reliable transport link connecting Europe with the Far East passes through the territory of our countries today. I know that a lot of work has been done in Turkmenistan – a modern seaport, airports and railways. All these projects have been implemented under your leadership, creating the most advanced infrastructure in Turkmenistan. Such infrastructure has also been created in Azerbaijan. Therefore, there is a great benefit in combining our efforts in this direction.”

Concluding his remarks, he reaffirmed the importance of frequent high-level meetings:

“Of course, I do believe that our frequent meetings send very serious messages to the entire region and the world. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are brotherly states, brotherly peoples and are always by each other's side. Once again, I am grateful to you for the hospitality.”

President Aliyev also conveyed greetings from Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and requested that his own greetings be passed on in return.

The discussions highlighted the robust political relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, with both countries reaffirming support for each other in international organisations and alignment on key regional and global issues. Azerbaijan’s role as a co-author of the UN General Assembly resolution on Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality was recognised as an example of enduring friendship.

Aliyev congratulated Turkmenistan on successfully hosting the UN conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, attended by a high-level Azerbaijani delegation. In turn, Berdimuhamedov congratulated Aliyev on the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Aliyev noted that the new transport corridor connecting Azerbaijan’s mainland to Nakhchivan through Armenia along the East-West corridor would enhance the transport and transit potential for the region.

The meeting also emphasised the potential of a trilateral transport corridor linking Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, while the joint participation of Turkmenistan’s “Akhal-Teke” and Azerbaijan’s Karabakh horses in international festivals was discussed to strengthen cultural ties alongside political and economic cooperation.

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On August 22, in the city of Turkmenbashi, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held an expanded-format meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Halk Maslahaty.

The information was published on the President's official website, Caliber.Az reports. 

On August 22, President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Turkmenistan for a working visit at the invitation of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

He was greeted with an honour guard at Turkmenbashi International Airport and received by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers for Trade Nokerguly Atagulyev and other senior officials.

By Aghakazim Guliyev