On October 7, during a working visit to Azerbaijan, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, met with President Ilham Aliyev.
Warmly welcoming the Hero-Arkadag, the head of the friendly country expressed gratitude for accepting the invitation to visit Azerbaijan and to participate in the 12th Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States.
Thanking him for the invitation to the Summit and for the opportunity to exchange views during the bilateral meeting on the priority areas of Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations, the National Leader of the Turkmen people conveyed heartfelt greetings and best wishes from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to President Ilham Aliyev.
The two sides noted that the positions of their countries on current global and regional political issues are similar or coincide. In this context, the Hero-Arkadag expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for its regular support of Turkmenistan’s policy of positive neutrality and its international initiatives.
He also noted that, on Turkmenistan’s initiative, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 as the "International Year of Peace and Trust", and that an International Forum dedicated to issues of peace and trust, as well as to the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, will be held in Ashgabat on December 12 this year. The Hero-Arkadag invited President Ilham Aliyev to take part in the Forum.
Thanking him for the invitation, the head of the neighboring state emphasized that Turkmenistan’s policy of positive neutrality makes a significant contribution to strengthening peace and stability in the region and enjoys broad support from the international community.
During the meeting, special attention was also given to cooperation on issues related to the Caspian Sea. The necessity of intensifying five-party cooperation on the Caspian, particularly in the areas of security, economy, ecology, trade, navigation, and scientific research, was emphasized.
Confirming Turkmenistan’s readiness to actively participate in the next Caspian Summit of the heads of state, the National Leader of the Turkmen people noted that, considering the current ecological state of the Caspian Sea, it would be appropriate to designate environmental security as the main topic of the upcoming high-level meeting.
The interlocutors also noted their readiness to begin practical implementation of agreements reached on cooperation in carpet weaving and the breeding of Akhal-Teke and Karabakh horses.
Reaffirming Turkmenistan’s commitment to close cooperation with Azerbaijan in all areas, the Hero-Arkadag took the opportunity to invite the head of the neighboring state to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan at any convenient time.
