Speech by the President of Turkmenistan at the Central Asia-Russia Summit

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed the Central Asia-Russia Summit of Heads of State. The text of the speech was published by the State News Agency TDH.

“ Dear Heads of State,

Distinguished members of the delegations, 

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the esteemed President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Sharipovich Rahmon for the warm welcome and hospitality.

The holding of this second meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Russia, in our opinion, indicates the transition of interaction in this format to a systemic basis. 

This is an objective process. Central Asia and Russia not only form a vast geographical space but are also united by centuries-old historical, political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties.

It is precisely the combination of such factors that provides a solid foundation for increasing the potential of our cooperation across a wide range of areas, both now and in the long term. 

Joint efforts to strengthen stability and security in Central Asia have been and remain a key area of ​​partnership between our countries. The countries of the region and Russia have accumulated considerable experience in this area. Consultations are held regularly with representatives of foreign policy and other agencies.

Their scope is expanding today to include coordinating actions to respond to new challenges and risks, including information and biological security, ensuring sustainability and social harmony in our countries.

These are crucial issues, and we are addressing them together based on our commitment to core values, traditions, historical experience, and an objective assessment of contemporary trends.

Among our pressing shared global priorities, we highlight strengthening and coordinating our countries’ interactions within international structures, primarily the UN. We are convinced of the need to develop a common approach and actively promote it in protecting universally recognized norms of international law, strengthening the role and authority of the UN, and preserving the global security architecture based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.

We need to return international relations to a civilized framework, reestablishing a culture of respectful dialogue, predictability, and trust. I am confident that, despite the complexity of this task today, the Central Asian states and Russia together can make a significant impact on achieving these goals. 

Dear participants, 

Turkmenistan considers strengthening and energizing economic ties between Central Asia and Russia a priority for cooperation.

In recent years, we have been able to launch a number of major projects with the participation of our countries. 

The transport component is becoming especially important today. The goal of joint efforts in this area is to create a reliable, sustainable, and efficient logistics system across the Central Asian states and Russia.

Turkmenistan sees great potential in the development of the North-South international transport corridor along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. This corridor is valuable in its own right, bringing significant benefits to all participants. At the same time, it should be viewed as part of a larger Eurasian transport project. 

In this regard, I would like to highlight the importance of the Caspian transport and logistics hub for establishing direct transport links between Central Asian countries and Russia via the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan is prepared to engage in substantive discussions on using the Turkmenbashi International Seaport for these purposes. 

We emphasize the importance of energy partnership. We pay special attention to the electric power industry. We propose considering aligning our interests in electricity supplies within our countries, as well as expanding our reach to neighboring countries and regions, primarily to the south. 

We also look forward to closer cooperation on renewable energy. I am confident that we have much to offer each other based on our shared experience, new competencies, and scientific and technological advances.

We advocate for accelerating and making innovation partnerships more concrete. Needless to say, this has implications for domestic development and international competition. We recognize and highly value Russia’s strategic commitment to broad international cooperation in technology and innovation. In this context, we see broad prospects for cooperation in our format. 

For Turkmenistan, innovation acceleration is currently one of the most powerful drivers of national economic and social development. We would like to begin practical cooperation, attracting our partners’ innovative potential to our industrial sector, the agro-industrial complex, urban development, and the creation of “smart cities” on a mutually beneficial basis.

Maintaining ecological balance is another area in which the Central Asian states and Russia will need to jointly address numerous challenges. These include the shallowing of the Caspian Sea, saving the Aral Sea, and a host of issues related to adaptation measures in industry and agriculture, atmospheric emissions, and more. We hope that such topics will occupy a prominent place on the permanent agenda of six-party cooperation. 

Dear participants,

This year is special in many ways for our countries. Together, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This event will always remain a strong bond uniting our peoples and countries. 

We transfer loyalty to our shared historical heritage, commitment to the ideals of good neighborliness, friendship, and equality into the practice of interstate relations, relying on them, and always emphasizing their enduring nature. 

This makes the development and strengthening of humanitarian, educational and scientific ties between Central Asia and Russia all the more important.

They strengthen our relations, create a solid foundation for the future, and serve a tremendous educational function, fostering mutual respect and sympathy among the peoples of our countries, including the youth, and a desire for mutual understanding. These are positive trends, the manifestation of which we see and must support and encourage.

In conclusion, I would like to confirm Turkmenistan’s readiness for cooperation and our conviction in the importance, necessity, and great potential of such a format of interaction as “Central Asia-Russia.”