President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a state visit to Turkmenistan on 6-7 March at the invitation of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.
The main events of the visit took place on 6 March. The heads of state conducted face-to-face negotiations, to be joined later by the official delegations at a meeting in an extended format. They discussed issues in furthering the cooperation in petrochemical, commerce, economy, transport communications, agriculture, culture, tourism and other spheres.
Following the negotiations, Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov signed a joint statement and the Strategic Partnership Treaty between the two nations. The respective ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan also inked several documents on consistent development of cooperation in the economy, agriculture, chemical industry, railway transportation, cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as in the consolidation of inter-provincial bonds.
On the second day of the visit, Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov traveled to the city of Turkmenabad.
The two leaders led the opening ceremony of the Turkmenabad-Farab road and railway bridge over the Amudarya river.
The length of the road bridge is 1,600 meters, while the railway bridge reaches 1,750 meters. In construction of these structures, Turkmen and Ukrainian specialists used German and Norwegian technologies.
Presidents visited the exhibition of handicraft produced by Uzbek and Turkmen artisans, folk masters, organized at the square by the bridges.
The head of our state underlined that these bridges symbolize the friendship of our peoples and have a geostrategic significance not only for Turkmenistan, but also for the whole region. He stressed that wide-scale works are carried out in Uzbekistan on the development of transport communications, in particular, the Angren-Pap railway line constructed last year links Central Asia with China. The mutual integration of railway lines of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will be an important element of the revitalized Great Silk Road and contribute to the advancement of the region as well as the growth in the welfare of the population.
President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan has put forward initiatives on developing transport and transit communications, and that these bridges are practical implementation of the measures undertaken in this regard. He gave a high acclaim of the quality of construction works, underscored the significance of the structures and expressed gratefulness to builders and contractors.
The heads of our two states made a journey over the bridge on the train.
Back in September 2016, at the state funeral of first President of Uzbekistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had pointed out that the memory of the great statesman Islam Karimov would be duly perpetuated in Turkmenistan. To this end, one of the main streets of the city of Turkmenabad has been named after Islam Karimov.
A memorial complex has been erected on this very street, where the bust of Uzbekistan’s first President is installed and the complex is decorated with the state flags of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The granite board has the words of Islam Karimov inscribed in Uzbek and Turkmen: “The important wealth that we should cherish and multiply is the mutual trust between our countries”.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Gurbanguly Bedymuhamedov, following this wise advice, have been consolidating confidence between our two nations, and steadily developing mutually advantageous cooperation.
They led the opening ceremony of this memorial complex.
“Islam Karimov was a great politician, an outstanding statesman, who put the interests of his nation first,” Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov insisted. “The President wisely resolved difference problems and overcame difficulties, which Uzbekistan came across in its new life; he hugely contributed to the establishment of peace and cooperation in our entire region, in particular in consolidating relations between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Perpetuation of the memory of Islam Karimov was our duty. Today, in delivering that duty, we must remember the need to preserve the legacy of this great politician, should further strengthen friendship and cooperation between our countries.”
“We are deeply thankful for this tribute to the memory of the first President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. “Islam Karimov was a great statesman, far-sighted and wise politician, one of the brightest personalities of our time. The founder of independent Uzbekistan built a robust state and developed democratic society in the country, and made a remarkable contribution to the peace, security and harmony in the whole region. The relations between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are a bright example of friendly, good neighborly ties.”
The Presidents laid a wreath to the memorial complex, took a stroll along the Islam Karimov Street.
Members of the Uzbek and Turkmen governments, representatives of the diplomatic corps and of the wider public also laid flowers at the memorial complex.
The Rukhiyat Palace in Turkmenistan hosted a concert of artists from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The event luridly manifested the fraternal relations of the Uzbek and Turkmen peoples, and served as a good opportunity for close acquaintance with contemporary and classical arts of the two countries.
An exhibition of arts and crafts of Uzbek and Turkmen peoples was organized in the foyer of the palace.
On this, the state visit of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Turkmenistan came to an end.
The leader of Turkmenistan saw off our President at the Turkmenabad Airport.
The President’s visit to Turkmenistan, the signed documents and organized cultural events colorfully demonstrate a high level of cooperation between our countries, built on the principles of good neighborliness and fraternity.
