Asgabat
An official delegation of Turkmenistan headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov made a two-day working visit to Afghanistan on Saturday last week.
Within the framework of the visit to Kabul, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov held a number of meetings with high-ranking officials of Afghanistan.
In particular, Vice-Premier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov had a meeting with the Chairman of the Government of Afghanistan Mohammad Hasan Akhund.
R.Meredov having noted that Turkmen side expresses its readiness to close cooperation and constructive dialogue with the new state structures of Afghanistan, underlined that Turkmenistan, as neighboring state is deeply interested in political stability and security of the afghan people, resolving contradictions by peaceful, political-diplomatic means.
The parties paid special attention to activation of the pace of joint projects in key spheres.
In this regard, the sides expressed readiness of the two countries to further cooperation in promoting the construction of the projects Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) high-voltage power transmission line and railroad lines from Turkmenistan to some provinces of Afghanistan.
The meeting on economic issues headed by Vice-Premier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov and Deputy Chairman of the Government of Afghanistan Abdul Salam Hanafi was attended by the ministers of economy, finance, public works, mines and petroleum, energy and water, communications, commerce and industry, information and culture of Afghanistan, as well as the head of «Da Afghanistan Brishna Sherkat» company.
During the meeting, a wide range of issues of political and economic interaction between the two countries was discussed.
In particular, the issue of intensifying the implementation of joint projects, ensuring their security, as well as expanding the cooperation of official and business circles of the two countries through the activation of bilateral meetings at various levels was touched upon.
“We want as soon as possible to launch national projects between the two countries, because for their implementation all the necessary conditions including security, have been created”, said the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Afghanistan.
During the talks with the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov discussed the priority issues of the bilateral agenda in the political-diplomatic and humanitarian collaboration. The Turkmen side invited the Government delegation of Afghanistan to visit Turkmenistan.
The Turkmen-Afghan meeting on security issues, headed by Rashid Meredov and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, was attended by the ministers of defense, internal affairs and heads of the national security and border services of Afghanistan, as well as the heads of the relevant ministries of Turkmenistan.
During the constructive talks, the need to continue efforts to ensure and strengthen security, stability and border cooperation was noted.
In this regard, the Afghan side stated that the security of the common brotherly border, as well as all joint promising economic projects will be ensured.
“We will spare no effort to ensure the security of infrastructure and economic projects between the two countries”, Mullah Yaqoob said.
Following the negotiations, a press-conference of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs R.Meredov and A.Muttaqi has been held.
The heads of the MFAs having stated the positive and constructive character of the current dialogue summarized the results of Turkmen-Afghan negotiations aimed at expansion of effective partnership on priority directions.—PR
