OREANDA-NEWS. December 8, 2009. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Javier Solana, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy had a telephone conversation.

Heartily greeting each other the sides expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to discuss in detail the aspects of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU member states and the current international issues of mutual interest during a personal conversation.

The EU High Representative, on whose initiative a telephone conversation was taking place, expressed profound gratitude to the Turkmen leader for providing active assistance in maintaining the dialogue built in recent years on a basis of mutual confidence and respect.

Emphasizing that the neutral status of Turkmenistan was a positive factor of the political climate in Central Asia, Javier Solana reaffirmed the EU’s interest establishing close contacts with Turkmen partners at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in particular in the framework of the EU long-term strategy of successful cooperation with the Central Asian countries.

In this context the President of Turkmenistan and the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy discussed the ways to further enhance and intensify constructive mutually advantageous cooperation in all key fields. In particular, the sides focused on expansion of energy, trade and economic cooperation and humanitarian ties in the spheres of education and culture. The focus of the conversation was the prospects for expanding Turkmenistan-EU partnership aimed at achieving the goals and objectives to ensure peace and global security. These particularly included concerting efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism that posed a serious threat to mankind.

In conclusion President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that after the Treaty of Lisbon that was to ensure the functioning of the European Union in the coming years had entered into effect, cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU would be maintained successfully and reach a new stage.

Reaffirming the mutual willingness to bring traditional cooperation to a qualitatively new level, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Javier Solana exchanged the wishes of every success in the noble mission to foster the dialogue of friendship and cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union.