As part of his working visit to Tajikistan, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov attended as a guest of honor the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The regular meeting was attended by the leaders of the SCO member states - President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the meeting online.
The SCO summit was also attended by the leaders of a number of observer states, including President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh (online).
Speaking at the summit, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan views its relations with the SCO as an important area of the international partnership strategy based on Turkmenistan’s commitment to the broad geographic and structural diversification of its external relations.
He stressed that the SCO member states are long-standing traditional partners of Turkmenistan, neighbors and friends, and therefore Ashgabat believes that development of relations with the SCO is intrinsically linked with the progressive course of bilateral partnership and general direction of its participation in the international and continental affairs.
The Turkmen leader informed the summit participants that Turkmenistan together with the UN plans to host an International Conference of Landlocked Developing Countries in April 2022. “The Turkmen side views it as a good opportunity for holding a concrete and practical dialogue on international transport cooperation in emergency situations and post-crisis periods,” Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed.
He invited the SCO member states to participate in this forum.
Concluding his speech, the head of state confirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness for constructive joint work.