India, Turkmenistan sign MoUs for cooperation, agree to expand bilateral trade

On Saturday President Ram Nath Kovind landed in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in the first leg of his state visit to two nations – Turkmenistan and the Netherlands. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received President Kovind and accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Ashgabat airport.

President Kovind commenced his engagements by paying a visit to Oguzhan Presidential Palace where he was received by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. During the one-to-one talk, the two leaders held a detailed discussion on the state and prospects of bilateral relations. They also exchanged views on various regional and international issues of importance.

They have agreed to intensify efforts to further strengthen India-Turkmenistan’s multifaceted partnership. The President said that his visit, which is the first such visit by an Indian President, is special since it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Turkmenistan.

Speaking on trade and economic cooperation, President Kovind said that trade between India and Turkmenistan continues to be modest. While it has picked up this year, there remains a lot of untapped potential for enhancing and diversifying it.

President Kovind appreciated Turkmenistan for its support to India’s candidatures in the recent past at the UN and other international organizations. He said that India counts on Turkmenistan’s support for its initiatives during India’s current membership at the UN Security Council for the term 2021-22.

Speaking on the regional issues, President said that India stands for peace and stability as well as inclusive government in Afghanistan. In order to arrive at a regional perspective on Afghanistan, India convened the ‘Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan’ in New Delhi in November 2021. The first India-Central Asia Summit in January this year reaffirmed our strong support for a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan with an inclusive and representative Government.

The President said that any instability in Afghanistan is a threat to the whole region.

India and Turkmenistan signed and exchanged four MoUs and Programme of Cooperation in the fields of disaster management, financial intelligence, culture and youth matters in the presence of the two Presidents.