OREANDA-NEWS. On 20 August 2008 was announced, that Turkmenistan sent the humanitarian goods to neighbouring Afghanistan. In accordance with the Order of the President of Turkmenistan food products, textile goods and school supplies were delivered to people in the settlements Marchak, Arsary and Charhap of the Badkhyz Province of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as gratuitous help.

Providing active support to the people of the neighbouring country Turkmenistan demonstrates the willingness to enhance the traditional good neighbouring relations and to foster the cultural and humanitarian ties between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Adhering to the principles of goodwill and humanism underlying Turkmenistan’s peace loving policy our country considerably contributes to the peaceful life and national economy restored in Afghanistan which opens a new page in its history with the assistance of the dependable partners and friends.

Knowing about the southern neighbour’s difficulties Turkmenistan lends a helping hand exporting electric power at a reduced price. In recent years under the bilateral contracts the Turkmen specialists constructed a number of the power facilities including substations and power transmission lines that will be expanded in the future.

Humanitarian aid serving as an important component of the current Turkmen-Afghan relations is another example of the disinterested fraternal assistance. In 2007 to support the fraternal Afghan people the President of Turkmenistan took the decisions to write down Afghanistan’s debt amounted to US\$ 4 million and to export electric power to Afghanistan on the gratuitous basis to the total sum of US\$ 300,000. Last year the 2-km railway branch from the Turkmen border to the Afghan settlement of Turghundi was reconstructed at Turkmenistan’s expense. The project amounted to US\$ 550,000.

Another example of Turkmenistan’s sincere and disinterested willingness to help the nearest neighbour is the humanitarian aid rendered to the people residing in five northern provinces of Afghanistan in the very cold winter this year. For many years Turkmenistan provides the surface and air corridors for the foreign states and international organisations to deliver the humanitarian goods to Afghanistan.