President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev, who arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, writes TDH.

Sergey Lebedev expressed sincere gratitude to the head of the Turkmen state for his active support for the development of constructive cooperation in the CIS space, aimed at the general well-being of the participating countries.

He especially noted Turkmenistan’s proactive approach to strengthening economic and humanitarian ties within the Commonwealth, taking into account modern realities and prospects.

Welcoming the guest, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan, together with the CIS Executive Committee, had carried out large-scale preparatory work to organize the upcoming high-level meeting. The head of state expressed confidence that the meeting will provide a good opportunity to discuss key areas and prospects for cooperation within the CIS, and its results will serve to further strengthen multilateral cooperation.

The President of Turkmenistan stated that cooperation in the format of the Commonwealth of Independent States is one of the priority areas of the foreign policy strategy of neutral Turkmenistan. As an associated member of the CIS, Turkmenistan takes a proactive position in matters of interaction in the Commonwealth space, actively participates in economic, cultural and humanitarian programs, and CIS events are regularly held in the country.

The main areas of joint activity include using existing opportunities in the fields of economics, trade, energy, transport, communications and telecommunications, as well as strengthening relations in the scientific, educational, cultural and sports fields.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said that, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the draft Decision on declaring Ashgabat the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth will be considered at the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of Government. He expressed confidence that the adoption of this document will serve to further strengthen friendly ties between the CIS countries.

Sergey Lebedev, in turn, noted that Ashgabat has all the necessary infrastructure for organizing world-class international sporting events and confirmed the status of Turkmenistan as a center of major sporting competitions.

In the context of climate change faced by humanity, the parties emphasized the advisability of intensifying efforts in addressing environmental issues, including the development of “green” technologies.

Summing up the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted Turkmenistan’s intention to strengthen the constructive dialogue in every possible way to achieve results that will become a significant contribution to strengthening friendship and good neighborliness between the CIS countries. He thanked the Secretary General and members of the Executive Committee for the work done and effective coordination of interaction.