OREANDA-NEWS. March 27, 2009. During the Turkmen leader’s state visit to the Russian Federation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Dmitriy Medvedev held the top-level talks in Moscow. The undisputable success of the top-level meeting demonstrated invariable adherence of two countries and peoples to the age-old relations of friendship and the policy of fruitful full-scale partnership meeting mutual interests. The bilateral documents covering a wide range of the fields of partnership between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation and vividly illustrating the strategic character of Turkmen-Russian cooperation were signed upon concluding the top-level talks in Moscow.

The President of Turkmenistan visited St. Petersburg on March 26. In the morning the President’s plan landed at Pulkovo 1. The official farewell ceremony was held at the Vnukovo-2 Airport.

St. Petersburg – Russia’s northern capital ranks among the world’s cultural, economic, industrial, research and educational, transport centres. Situated on the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of the Neva River it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. St. Petersburg is also the administrative center of Leningrad Oblast, and of the Northwestern Federal District.

As is known Turkmenistan and the city on the Neva River are bound with the long-term ties of friendship and traditional cooperation in various fields. The visit to St. Petersburg was included in the programme of the Turkmen leader’s state visit to the Russian Federation not by chance: development of the mutually advantageous economic, business and humanitarian contacts with the regions is a priority trend in bilateral partnership.

Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko cordially greeted President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the Pulkovo 1 Airport.

The students from Turkmenistan who studied at the higher schools in the city on the Neva River and numerous representatives of the Turkmen diaspora of St. Petersburg greeted cordially the Turkmen leader at the Airport.

From the Airport the President’s cortege headed for the Victory Square where the Monument to the Defenders of Leningrad stood. Paying tribute to the heroism and selflessness of the heroes Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov laid a basket of wonderful flowers to the Monument. The members of the Turkmen government delegation and the official persons of St. Petersburg took part in the ceremony.

Then the President visited the museum and documentary exposition dedicated to the Defense and Siege of Leningrad. Upon concluding the excursion Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov wrote an entry to the Book of Honorary Guests.

Then the President’s cortege headed for Smolny, the seat of the Governor of St. Petersburg.

At Smolny President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had a meeting Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko

Cordially greeting the honorary guest Valentina Matvienko said that she considered it great honour to receive the leader of Turkmenistan during his state visit to the Russian Federation. Congratulating the President on success of the top-level talks, which were of intense interest to the international community, the Governor focused on particular significance of the bilateral agreements reached in Moscow opening a qualitatively new stage in the history of the Turkmen-Russian relations.

“We are sincerely glad to welcome our old and true friends with whom we have the long-term ties of friendship and common history and the brilliant perspectives of mutually advantageous cooperation in St. Petersburg,” Valentina Matvienko said. She emphasized that Turkmenistan and the city on the Neva River were always bound with the special relations, which had assumed the new dynamics and new content nowadays due to the efforts of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Thanking for the kind words the President of Turkmenistan congratulated Valentina Matvienko on receiving the high governmental award of the Russian Federation – the Order of Services to the Fatherland and presented the gorgeous bouquet of flowers and souvenir – a Turkmen handmade carpet.

Exchanging views on the progress of the recent agreements and the future opportunities to enhance mutually advantageous cooperation which was remarkable for the spirit of mutual understanding and cordiality Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that maintaining the wide constructive dialogue with the Russian partners Turkmenistan intended to intensify the direct contacts with the regions and the largest industrial and cultural centres of the Russian Federation, its northern capital in particular.

Focusing with satisfaction at the positive experience in collaboration with St. Petersburg accumulated over the past years the President of Turkmenistan said that the historical and cultural affinities and scientific and technical and resource potential create new incentives to further successful cooperation in all fields including the priority ones – energy, trade and economic, industrial, construction sectors. Emphasizing that the fields of cooperation of mutual interest included developing road and transport infrastructure the sides discussed the possibilities of collaboration of the Russian companies, which had advanced technologies and firm production basis, in construction of flyovers and bridges in Ashgabat and the regions of the country, in particular the Balkan Velayat where the Avaza National Project had been successfully launched. Informing of keen interest should by the St. Petersburg’s business circles in this large-scale project Valentina Matvienko said that the administration of St. Petersburg stood ready to consider any possibilities of cooperation built on an equal basis.

Noting that the relations of mutual confidence and respect established in recent years served as a firm guarantee of effective and mutually advantageous cooperation the sides focused on the need to establish direct air service between Ashgabat and St. Petersburg that would promote enhancing business contacts and establishing the full-scale dialogue.

The business proposals on collaboration of the largest enterprises, firms and companies of Russia’s ‘northern capital’ in the concrete projects elaborated in compliance with the priorities of Turkmenistan’s policy prepared for Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s visit testified to paramount importance attached to cooperation with the Turkmen partners. Valentina Matvienko informed that a big delegation representing the administration and industrial enterprises of St. Petersburg would arrive in Ashgabat to discuss the possibilities of cooperation with Turkmenistan.

Humanitarian cooperation, in particular in the sphere of education and science was the focus of he talks between the Turkmen leader and the Governor of St. Petersburg. Highly appreciating the long-term contacts between the scientific circles of Turkmenistan and St. Petersburg the sides focused on the need to establish direct close cooperation between the scientist and teachers of the high educational establishments.

Recollecting the recent trip to Ashgabat, which had turned into one of the most beautiful cities of the world and impressed with the scale of construction works, Valentina Matvienko put forward the proposal to involve the leading construction companies of St. Petersburg, which could contribute to creating the new architectural look of the Turkmen capital.

Highly appreciating the perspectives of long-term successful cooperation as a whole Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Valentina Matvienko expressed belief that based on the mutual goodwill and taken measures this cooperation would be brought up to a higher level meeting mutual interests.

Then the President of Turkmenistan visited the Sheremetyev Palace where an official dinner was given in honour of the honorary Turkmen guest on behalf of the Governor of St. Petersburg. During the dinner Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Valentina Matvienko exchanged the speeches.

On that day the Turkmen leader visited the plant of Yarovit Motors Public Corporation. The largest industrial enterprises of St. Petersburg and Russia had arranged an exposition for the Turkmen leader in the assembly shop of the plant.

CEO of the Yarovit Group of Companies Andrey Biryukov demonstrated the specimens of high-powered multifunctional machines produced at the Yarovit Motors plant to the honorary Turkmen guest. After getting acquainted with the exposition Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave instruction to the relevant high-ranking officials – the members of the Turkmen government delegation to study the opportunities to expand cooperation with Yarovit Holding.

Andrey Biryukov demonstrated a racing car to the President of Turkmenistan and said that five crews from St. Petersburg were preparing to take part in the Kazan-Ashgabat Rally initiated by the leader of Turkmenistan.

Then the Turkmen leader got acquainted with the expositions of Russia’s large producers including Vozrozhdenie Group of Companies, which presented a number of the projects designed specially for Turkmenistan. These included construction of the overpases across the Karakum River, cable-stayed bridge across the Karakum River, road interchanges in Ashgabat and the architectural concept of the levee of the Karakum River. The leader of Turkmenistan took keen interest in these proposals.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov got acquainted with the expositions of such large enterprises as Izhorskie Zavody Public Corporation, Silovye Mashiny Company, Zvezda Public Corporation, Petroles Group of Companies, Raritet Company.

During the excursion the President of Turkmenistan showed keen interest in the technical and performance characteristics of the equipment and specialized machines presented. Thanking the top managers of the Russian companies for the interesting excursion Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that their proposals would be thoroughly considered. The Turkmen leader emphasized that implementing the large-scale programmes on social and economic development Turkmenistan was very interested in the expertise and advanced technologies of the Russian companies and always stood ready for mutually advantageous cooperation.

In the afternoon the President of Turkmenistan arrived at the Pulkovo 1 International Airport where he attended the ceremony of opening direct air service between Ashgabat and St. Petersburg.

On this remarkable occasion the officials of the administration of St. Petersburg, representatives of the Turkmen diaspora, cultural workers, Turkmen students who studied in the city on the Neva River and the members of the Turkmen government delegation gathered at the Airport.

The Turkmen artists presented the bright performance was presented on the airfield. The inflammatory ancient Turkmen dance kusht depdi carried everyone present away in the whirl of meeriment. Valentina Matvienko also joined the Turkmen artists in dancing.

This event was a landmark. The air bridge connecting the capital of Turkmenistan with the city on the Neva River – the world-renowned city-monument, Russia’s largest cultural, industrial, business and scientific centre opened a new page in the history of the relationships between the peoples of Turkmenistan and St. Petersburg, the history with the deep roots and firm and indissoluble spiritual ties.

Establishing direct air service between Ashgabat and the city on the Neva River is an important step towards developing full-scale Turkmen-Russian cooperation, which was offered new powerful incentives during the top-level talks in Moscow. The Ashgabat-St. Petersburg-Ashgabat flight will ensure the delivery of passenger service on the important air routes and promote developing trade and economic relations and expanding the range of collaboration which was called for by the leaders of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation.

It should be noted that expanding the passenger airline services between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation is a landmark in the history of Turkmen civil aviation. The Ashgabat-St. Petersburg-Ashgabat flight is the fourteenth international passenger route of the Turkmenistan State Aviation Enterprise, which extended the geography of passenger routes and a vivid illustration of the national policy aimed at developing transport infrastructure. The experience of St. Petersburg, which ranks among the world’s leaders in this sphere, can be widely applied in Turkmenistan.

The passengers of the first flight to the city on the Neva River were the workers of culture and art and famous artistic groups of Turkmenistan. As is known the humanitarian sphere is an essential component of the Turkmen-Russian dialogue enhancing the ties of friendship and mutual understanding between two fraternal peoples.

Upon including the ceremony the President of Turkmenistan bade cordial farewell to the participants and wished the people of St. Petersburg happiness and welfare.

After Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov left for Ashgabat Governor Valentina Matvienko gave an interview to the Russian and foreign journalists. Focusing on paramount importance of the Turkmen leader’s visit, which had been held in the atmosphere of mutual confidence and respect, the Governor said that St. Petersburg and Turkmenistan were bound with the cordial relations and long-term ties of friendship. “The personality of the President of Turkmenistan – a young, energetic politician, reformer and innovator wins with his vigour and bold approaches to cooperation with Russia and in particular St. Petersburg. Communication with him inspires with optimism and belief that the most daring plans will be undoubtedly realized as well as the grandiose reforms bringing the country up to economic advances come into life before our very eyes in modern Turkmenistan.”

In the evening President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov returned in Ashgabat. At the Ashgabat International Airport the high-ranking officials of the Mejlis and cabinet ministers cordially greeted the Turkmen leader in the native land and congratulated on great success of the state visit to the Russian Federation.