OREANDA-NEWS. February 28, 2011. A meeting with Philippe Lefort, Head of the Directorate for Continental Office of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic, who had arrived on a working visit to the Turkmen capital the day before, took place in the framework of the bilateral political consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic in Turkmenistan Pierre Lebovich attended the meeting.

Long-term traditionally friendly Turkmen-French relations are characterized today by high dynamics and new quality. Bilateral cooperation was offered powerful incentives by the official visit of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to France last February. These bilateral consultations held under the top level agreements and the Agreement between the foreign ministries of the two countries became a new step enhance the fruitful intergovernmental dialogue built on mutual confidence and understanding.

The talks focused on the ways to intensify fruitful Turkmen-French cooperation in the bilateral format as well as within the Turkmenistan-EU dialogue and other large international structures and organisations, including OSCE, UN. Exchanging views on the current state and prospects for further international collaboration, the participants focused on the profound potential for trade and economic partnership in the fuel and energy, construction, transport and communications and textile sectors in particular. 

Discussing the aspects of humanitarian cooperation, the participants called for intensification of cultural, scientific and educational contacts including within the Paris-based UNESCO.