Ashgabat, June 29, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Chairman of the People's Council Chamber of the National Assembly of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat.

Expressing his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for accepting the invitation to attend the 6th Summit of the Heads of State of the Caspian littoral states, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov recalled with deep reverence the participation of great leader Heydar Aliyev in the first summit held in Ashgabat in 2002.

Noting that the Caspian Sea was a sea of good neighborliness and peace, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed his confidence that the current meeting would give a good impetus to cooperation in the Caspian Sea in the common interest. Recalling that important issues had been discussed at the Baku summit, the Chairman of the People's Council Chamber of the National Assembly of Turkmenistan stressed the importance of the adoption of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.

Indicating that this year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that a lot had been done in the political, economic, trade, cultural and humanitarian spheres over the past years. Expressing his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for his continuous support of Turkmenistan's neutral status, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted his country's permanent support for the initiatives of the President of Azerbaijan based on mutual respect and trust in the international arena.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of building logistical and transit corridors at the joint initiative of the two countries, adding that economic relations would continue to develop.

Expressing his gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan for the admission of Turkmenistan to the Organization of Turkic States as an observer and the high assessment of its activities, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that inter-parliamentary relations were developing successfully and his country had participated in the Baku Conference of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

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Expressing his gratitude for the kind words, President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on his birthday anniversary and wished him success in his further activities for the development of brotherly Turkmenistan.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that during the years of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's leadership, Turkmenistan, along with strengthening its neutral status, had gained authority in the international arena by pursuing an independent foreign policy, developing rapidly and improving the capital city of Ashgabat every year.

Emphasizing his satisfaction visiting the fraternal country again, the head of state expressed his confidence that the new President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, would lead the country further along the path of development and progress.

Touching upon bilateral relations, President Ilham Aliyev stressed the mutual support between the two countries. The President of Azerbaijan noted the high level of relations between the two countries in both bilateral and multilateral formats, noting that the main goal was to deepen cooperation, further expand mutual political activities and fully unlock the potential of cultural ties.

Emphasizing the increase in cargo traffic between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea, President Ilham Aliyev said it was in the interests of both our countries and our neighbors. Today, the transport route through the Caspian Sea is of special importance. Modern seaports have been built in both Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and major investments made in railway infrastructure.

Noting the importance of the summit, President Ilham Aliyev recalled that the first summit was held at the initiative of Turkmenistan 20 years ago. The President of Azerbaijan expressed his confidence that the decisions to be made at the Sixth Summit would pave the way for the full realization of the potential of the Caspian Sea, preserve it as a zone of peace, security, cooperation and clean environment.