OREANDA-NEWS. November 6, 2008. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov left on the three-day state visit to the Republic of Korea. The high-ranking officials of the Mejlis and cabinet ministers bade farewell to the Turkmen leader at the Ashgabat International Airport.

The President’s plane landed at the International Airport in Seoul decorated with the national flags of two countries. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan and other official persons greeted cordially the Turkmen leader.

The official ceremony of meeting President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the top level talks which are expected to result in signing the important bilateral documents will be held at the Presidential Palace. In the afternoon President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov will have the meetings with the top managers of Korea’s large companies.

The Turkmen leader will visit the Korean cities of Pusan and Ulsan and the Hyundai shipbuilding and automobile plant, SK petroleum refinery, Pusan seaport and seaside zone.

This is the Turkmen leader’s first visit to the Republic of Korea and its state status testify to the paramount significance that two friendly countries attach to establishing close and more versatile contacts and ties.

It is symbolic that the Turkmen-Korean intergovernmental dialogue is intensified in the new historical period of development of the Turkmen state – the epoch of Great Revival that has declared the welfare and integrated development of an individual to be the ultimate goal. It is no secret that today many political scientists and economists more often talk about the Turkmen phenomenon, the Turkmen economic miracle based on the peace-loving and constructive policy of the independent neutral Turkmen state. The pace of renewal and energy of creation set by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov dictate the necessity of searching for the most optimal and effective model of national development. In this regard the Korean model based on high technologies and the intellectual potential of the nation can be quite helpful for modern Turkmenistan that relies on development of science and education, and in whole formation of the highly developed intellectual society as an essential factor for the social and economic progress in the third millennium. The experience of Korea that has achieved a rapid and impressive economic upsurge for forty years is of particular interest and use to Turkmenistan that has taken the road of progressive reforms.

Turkmen-Korean co-operation is not limited to the economic interests though. It is based on comprehensive understanding of the role of the spiritual values in the development of the nation. The Korean economic miracle called the Miracle on the Han River was made by the people due to their outstanding diligence and support of the centuries-old spiritual values and ineradicable aspiration for perfection – the fundamental qualities uniting our peoples. Probably, that is why despite the geographical remoteness, difference of cultures, religions and world-views we find the common language and mutual understanding on many issues.

It should be noted that the leader of the Republic of Korea immediately understood and highly appreciated the aiming of the Turkmen state and its leader towards the progress. Being very useful for identifying the priorities of further co-operation the meeting between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Lee Myung-bak in Beijing initiated the fruitful dialogue between two leaders based on sincere mutual symphony, understanding and respect.

The good personal relations between the leaders of Turkmenistan and Korea afford ground for the optimistic forecast of the Turkmen-Korean top level talks that will, undoubtedly, start the dialogue of the new quality and content between two friendly countries and peoples.