Georgia deepens relations with Turkmenistan
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Georgia and Turkmenistan are deepening bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors including economic, transport, energy, tourism, culture and science.
"Turkmenistan has quite clear and strategic view of the development of their country and cooperation with Georgia,” said Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili after meeting Turkmenistan’s president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedovthis week.
This cooperation is beneficial not only for Georgia and Turkmenistan, but also for many countries in the Eurasian region,” Margvelashvili added.
The Turkmenistan official enjoyed a two-day state visit to Georgia on July 1-2, where he met with Margvelashvili and the two leaders signed an agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation in culture, science and tourism sectors. The officials also agreed the strategic views of Georgia and Turkmenistan coincide in terms of economic cooperation and political issues.
A Georgian delegation met the Turkmen president at Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
The welcoming ceremony continued at the Presidential Palace. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
Margvelashvili said Georgia-Turkmenistan cooperation not only benefited both countries but it also had positive flow-on effects for "many other countries in the Eurasian region”, where joint projects had much wider benefits.
Our joint transit and energy projects give us a possibility to transport Turkmenistan’s energy resources to the European market,” Margvelashvili said.
"I would like to highlight the Lapis Lasuli and AGRA projects. I am sure such cooperation will bring prosperity to Georgia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and of course, these are decisions, that provide economic success, more stability and security in the region,” he added.
Georgia's President hosted his Turkmen counterpart at the Presidential Palace. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
In response Berdimuhamedov said: "We have accumulated some experience and we will continue our close cooperation, partnership with the United Nations, and one of the issues for which [Georgia and Turkmenistan] cooperate intensively is energy security and energy train security issues.”
The two leaders signed an agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation in culture, science and tourism sectors. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
Transport
Transportation of goods and transit corridor issues was high on the agenda of Margvelashvili and Berdimuhamedov’s meeting.
This transport corridor - this is Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey direction - has a great opportunity and perspective. Our plan is to unite the Caspian and Black Sea regions in the South Caucasus corridor in order to have access to the European market through this corridor,” Berdimuhamedov said.
The Turkmen president expressed his country’s readiness to increase its export product range and said the transport corridor through Georgia would support this goal.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedovlaid a wreath at the Memorial of the Fallen Heroes for the Unity of Georgia. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
Culture and Education
Forging deeper cultural and educational cooperation was something both leaders were keen on pursuing.
Berdimuhamedov said Turkmenistan was interested in setting up exchange programs for students and young scientists. "We want our students to learn and get an education in Georgia in the fields of the latest technology and information technology” he said.
Both presidents also agreed to hold joint cultural days in their respective nations that showcased the other party; Georgia will hold an event marking Culture Days of Turkmenistan, while Turkmenistan will celebrate Culture Days of Georgia.
At the end of the meeting, Berdimuhamedov invited Margvelashvili to visit Turkmenistan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of recognition of Turkmenistan’s neutral status.
At the end of the meeting, Margvelashvili took Berdimuhamedov to Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. Photo from Giorgi Margvelashvili/Facebook
The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, is coming to Georgia on a two-day state visit.
During Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili’s official visit to Turkmenistan today, the leaders of the two countries signed three documents that will see Georgia and Turkmenistan work harder on tightening bilateral economic relations.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has extended his greetings and warm wishes to the government and people of Turkmenistan on their Independence Day.
Georgia and Turkmenistan are intensifying bilateral economic relations. Latest data revealed between January-October 2015, trade turnover between the two countries had increased by 63 percent in comparison to the previous year.
Georgia and Turkmenistan are deepening bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors including economic, transport, energy, tourism, culture and science.
Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze is in Turkmenistan today to sign an important deal that will make Georgia part of another transport corridor connecting Europe and Asia.
Georgia has become part of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, a transit, trade and transport route that connects Europe and Asia by road, rail and sea thanks to a long-awaited new international trade and transport corridor deal.
Georgian and Turkmen top officials believe the two nations have potential to further enhance transport-transit ties and say a recently signed deal can play an important role in the process.
The “close” political and economic cooperation between Georgian and Turkmenistan was discussed on Monday between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Begench Gochmollayev, the Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan.