OREANDA-NEWS. April 9, 2009. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Sergey Lebedev, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States, who had arrived in Ashgabat to take part in a meeting of the Council of CIS foreign ministers.

Thanking for the opportunity of a personal meeting the guest expressed sincere gratitude to the Turkmen leader for hosting and active assistance in organizing a regular forum under the aegis of the CIS in the Turkmen capital. S. Lebedev said that pursuing the active, consistent policy of international cooperation Turkmenistan demonstrated a businesslike, innovative approach to cooperation in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Greeting the guest Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan viewed its status of an associated member of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a real opportunity to take more concrete and constructive part in the activity of the Commonwealth in the bilateral and multilateral formats. The Turkmen leader said that Turkmenistan always stood ready for equal, mutually advantageous cooperation with our traditional partners that it was bound with the long-term toes of friendship and good neighbourliness.

During the meeting the sides discussed the major agenda items of the coming meeting, exchanged views on the effective ways to intensify cooperation in the CIS particularly in such fields as trade and economy, transport and telecommunications, agriculture. Sergey Lebedev noted that the agricultural forum of the countries of the Commonwealth, which would be held in Ashgabat this autumn on the initiative of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, was to play a significant role in this consistent process.

The Turkmen leader and his guest focused on development of humanitarian contacts as an integral part of the intergovernmental dialogue, an essential factor enhancing mutual understanding and confidence among different peoples worldwide. Sergey Lebedev highly appreciated the exceptionally valuable experience of Turkmenistan that took the modern approaches to social development, bringing a younger generation to respect the spiritual traditions of the nation that had been comprehended anew and maintained nowadays. In this regard the guest expressed great admiration of the recent grandiose action – climbing along the Path of Health organized on the initiative and with the participation of the Turkmen leader. The Chairman of the Executive Committee said that the example of Turkmenistan where sports played a more important role in promoting the physical and spiritual health of the nation, particularly youth, was worthy to be followed in the CIS.

Thanking for this high appreciation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov called for expanding partnership in sports that brought people together and united them around the ideals of peace and friendliness. The President of Turkmenistan wished success to the coming forum and expressed belief that the meeting of the Council of CIS foreign ministers in Ashgabat would be an important step towards further development of intergovernmental cooperation in common interests.