President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the head of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Muhammad Al Jasser.

Expressing sincere gratitude to the head of state for the time and opportunity to discuss priority issues of cooperation, the guest confirmed the readiness of the IDB to strengthen long-term cooperation with Turkmenistan, which is pursuing a creative policy based on the principles of positive neutrality and implementing progressive socio-economic transformations and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Taking this opportunity, Mr. Muhammad Al Jasser cordially congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the upcoming holiday - the 33rd anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, expressing his best wishes in this regard.

Warmly welcoming the President of the IDB, the Head of state expressed confidence that the meetings held during his current visit to Ashgabat would be fruitful, contributing to a constructive exchange of views on the prospects of bilateral partnership.

As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted, the expansion of international cooperation, in particular, contacts with reputable financial institutions and banking structures, plays a significant role in the strategy of economic development of Turkmenistan. As for cooperation with the IDB, it is effective and long-term. This September marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's membership in the Islamic Development Bank. Over the past period, the IDB has participated in financing more than 20 important projects in our country in such areas as healthcare, education, transport, communications, and energy.

Continuing the topic, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that strengthening the health of the people and increasing the life expectancy of the population is one of the priorities of the state policy of Turkmenistan. A lot of work is being done in the national health system to successfully solve the tasks set. At the same time, the role of the IDB in the implementation of projects for the construction of medical and sanatorium infrastructure facilities was noted. At the same time, there are good opportunities for further investment cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank in this area.

During the exchange of views on key areas of partnership, emphasis was placed on the prospects for cooperation in the energy sector. Turkmenistan, which has the richest natural resources, is always committed to the development of this sphere through diversification. In this context, the possibilities of cooperation in the oil and gas sector were considered. The implementation of this important project will contribute to the development of productive economic cooperation not only in the regional, but also in the international dimension.

Turkmenistan also carries out comprehensive work in the field of clean energy that does not harm the environment. This creates great opportunities for cooperation with the IDB in the implementation of projects or new initiatives in the field of sustainable energy in our country.

The sphere of transport was also identified as one of the promising areas of cooperation. At the same time, it was noted that the favorable geographical location serves as a solid basis for the dynamic development of Turkmenistan's transport and logistics infrastructure. In this regard, the interconnectedness of all modes of transport is of particular importance. From this point of view, consistent work is being carried out on the formation of multimodal regional and international transport corridors along the North–South and East–West routes.

In this context, it was noted that there are wide opportunities for enhancing international transportation through the Caspian Sea. There is a huge potential here to increase the capacity of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport connecting Asia and Europe. For its part, Turkmenistan is ready to consider specific proposals from the Islamic Development Bank for participation in projects to create transport and transit corridors.

Within the framework of cooperation with the IDB, projects for the development of the Internet and telecommunications system were also allocated.

In addition, there are broad prospects for strengthening the IDB's effective contacts with banks and the private sector of Turkmenistan. In this regard, it seems advisable to intensify cooperation in the field of financial, credit and advisory services in the development of medium and small businesses.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Head of the Islamic Development Bank Muhammad Al Jasser expressed confidence that mutually beneficial cooperation between Turkmenistan and the IDB will continue to expand, filling with new concrete content.

Source: State News Agency