Ashgabat, November 22, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov have held a one-on-one meeting.

The heads of state addressed the meeting.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said:

- Dear Ilham Heydarovich!

Please allow me to express my gratitude to you for accepting our invitation to pay an official visit to your neighboring and brotherly country – to hospitable Turkmenistan. We are grateful to members of your delegation.

As you know, the peoples of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have always had ancient and rich spiritual traditions. In other words, we have always, at all times, had such a huge potential and opportunities, and we are pleased that both Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are using this potential at the present stage. We see this in the political arena, in our economic issues and in many other areas. Therefore, on the basis of that, we have a powerful reserve which we could use not only for the benefit of our peoples but also at the regional and international level. Most importantly, we are using all this. We are members of very reputable international organizations, such as the United Nations. I would like to stress that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are implementing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. We have a common vision on issues such as stability and security not only in the region but also throughout the world. Proceeding from our capabilities, I would also like to say that we could use our potential for cooperation in the field of economy and in economic integration at the regional and international level. Therefore, of course, we attach great importance to your visit. As I mentioned, we have a lot of good opportunities. We have common roots, history, mentality, national features, and we are very right in patriotically passing this on to the younger generation, attracting the people of art and creative intellectuals to the process.

As you can see, we are doing a lot not only between ourselves, between the two states today, but also on a regional and global scale. Therefore, taking this opportunity, I would like to thank you first of all for what you are doing, for your great personal contribution to the strengthening of friendship between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. I would like to wish you great success in your public activities and convey my best wishes to the fraternal people of Azerbaijan. We are glad to see you again today. You are welcome!

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President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

- Thank you, dear Mr. President. First of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation to visit brotherly Turkmenistan. I have felt perfectly at home ever since I set foot on your land yesterday. This is due to the hospitality of the fraternal Turkmen people and to your personal hospitality.

In Azerbaijan, you are known as a great friend of our country. You are doing a lot to strengthen the fraternal relations between our countries. I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate you and all the fraternal people of Turkmenistan on the enormous achievements in development and strengthening of Turkmenistan's role in the international arena, for the attention you are paying to national and spiritual values, for carefully preserving the traditions of your people and passing them on to new generations.

As you have noted, we have common roots, and this brings us together. We want to get even closer on the basis of our traditions, history, common culture and world outlook. Therefore, I think that my visit will serve to strengthen our brotherly relations.

I agree with you that our countries play an important part in matters of regional cooperation and in strengthening regional security. Our countries are noted for a high level of stability and a high level of development. You are absolutely right that our countries are very actively implementing the transformations within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By most indicators, we have not only completed but also exceeded what was planned. This can be confirmed by anyone coming to Turkmenistan and seeing your country develop, the conditions being created for your citizens, the growing economic and industrial potential.

We in Azerbaijan rejoice in your success. We are confident that under your wise leadership the fraternal people of Turkmenistan will continue to follow the path of progress. Of course, it is necessary to strengthen our cooperation using these good opportunities. And we are doing just that. I am sure that the visit will be very fruitful in this regard. Economic cooperation, cooperation in the transport sector, industrial cooperation – there are many topics for discussion. I am sure that we will achieve our goals. I want to thank you once again for the warm welcome and hospitality.