State information agency of Turkmenistan informs that Han Vali Han Basharmal, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, delivered the letters of credence to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. 

Expressing deep gratitude for devoted time, the diplomat congratulated with the 25th anniversary of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan, by rendering warm greetings from President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Gani, addressing the wishing of well-being and prosperity to the brotherly Turkmen people.

The diplomat also stressed that the neighboring country sincerely values traditionally friendly relations with Turkmenistan and fully supports the constructive foreign policy pursued by the Turkmen leader, which is an important factor in ensuring peace, security and stability in the region.

Thanking for the kind words and sending greetings in return to his Afghan counterpart, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov congratulated the diplomat on his appointment to a responsible post and wished him success in the field of further strengthening interstate cooperation.

The leader of the nation noted with satisfaction that the Turkmen-Afghan relations, based on long-standing ties of good neighborliness and based on the principles of mutual understanding and trust, are successfully developing, acquiring new concrete content.

In continuation of the meeting, an exchange of views took place on the priority areas of bilateral cooperation, among which the trade, economic, humanitarian and cultural spheres were identified. At the same time, special attention was paid to the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level, as well as important joint infrastructure projects.

Fruitful interaction between the two states is also carried out in the fuel and energy and transport and communication fields. In this regard, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the favorable geographical position of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan is of great importance in terms of the formation of new transit transport corridors.

An example of this is the implementation of such large projects being implemented with the participation of two countries, such as the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline, a high-voltage power line and a fiber-optic communication line along the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan route. 

A new section of fiber-optic communication between Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is ready for commissioning. It was laid by the specialists of our country along the Ymamnazar – Akina and Serhetabat – Turgundi routes, which will make it possible to loop back the communication network of Afghanistan by connecting the Herat – Akina line to it. 

The implementation of these large-scale projects, including the construction of the Akina – Andkhoy railway, opens great prospects for optimizing transport flows throughout the Eurasian space. 

In this context, the role of transit and transport corridor “Lapis Lazuli” created in the framework of an Agreement signed among Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey was marked, and it will allow to increase the volume of commodity circulation between the countries of Central and South Asia and the countries of Europe, and its turn will give a new impetus to the development of interregional trade and economic relations.

The diplomat expressed to the Head of state his cordial gratitude for active support in the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan shown by Turkmenistan. 

It should be marked that all these years our country exports to the friendly south neighbor electro energy on concessional terms, forwards humanitarian freights on regular basis, erects on the territory of Afghanistan the objects of social nature, afghan youngsters is given an opportunity to study in Turkmen educational institutions.

Ambassador attested the Head of Turkmen state that from his turn he’ll do his best for further all-round strengthening of a fruitful interstate dialogue.