OREANDA-NEWS. January 12, 2011. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received General James Mattis, Commander of the United States Central Command, who had arrived in the Turkmen capital leading a high-level delegation.

Thanking the Turkmen leader for the opportunity of a personal meeting, the guest noted that he was glad to visit Turkmenistan, which pursued the policy of peace, good neighborliness and wide international cooperation standing as the a factor for strengthening peace, security and stability in the region. General James Mattis emphasized that the U Government intended to develop further versatile collaboration with Turkmenistan, which the United States viewed as a dependable partner.

Greeting the distinguished guest, the national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that building the foreign policy strategy based on the status of neutrality, the Turkmen state invariably stood for a constructive dialogue on regional and global scale aimed at fostering mutually advantageous cooperation and elaborating optimal solutions to challenges of particular concern to all humanity. Touching upon bilateral Turkmen-US relations, the Turkmen leader said that cooperation with the United States of America was a priority of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy.

An exchange of views on the prospects for partnership, in particular to achieve global security and respond to dangerous threats and challenges of the modern world, including illicit drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism took place during the meeting. In this regard the high-ranking official highly evaluated Turkmenistan’s contribution to global efforts in this critical field.

Stating that neutral Turkmenistan stood ready to place its peace-making potential at the service of peace, regional and global security, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov underlined the commitment of the Turkmen side to continue fruitful cooperation in the interests of sustainable development and progress.

In conclusion the President of Turkmenistan and Commander the United States Central Command reaffirmed that the two countries stood ready to enhance effective cooperation and develop the traditional intergovernmental dialogue, which had been filled with a new content and dynamics in recent years.

U.S. Charge d'Affaires a.i. in Turkmenistan Eileen Malloy attended the meeting.