Today, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who arrived in Samarkand to participate as an honoured guest in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, met with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Having expressed his gratitude to his Uzbek colleague for the invitation, the head of the state thanked him for hospitality and conveyed warm words of greeting from Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Having welcomed the high guest, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that he was very glad again to receive the head of Turkmenistan in Uzbekistan. It again testifies to the special character of bilateral relations, which thanks to the efforts of Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, have been brought out to the truly strategic level, the Uzbek leader underlined, conveying his best wishes to his good and kind friend Arkadag.

During their meeting, the interlocutors exchanged views of priority areas of Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation successfully developed both in bilateral and regional formats. It was underlined that Turkmenistan highly appreciates relations with the Republic of Uzbekistan and attaches a great significance for development of mutually beneficial relations with its close neighbour and reliable partner.

According to the mutual view of the sides, equality, mutual respect, openness, trust, understanding of importance of further strengthening of friendship and cooperation between two brotherly peoples and countries are distinctive features of the interstate dialogue. It is based on age-old neighbourhood traditions, historical and cultural commonality, awareness of modern realities requiring close interaction and coordination of efforts.

Presidents Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted a positive dynamics of interaction in the field of realization of agreements made in the high-level talks held in July of the current year during the official visit of the head of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Uzbekistan, which enabled to make new achievements in political, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

As was pointed out, partnership within the framework of important international organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with which our country successfully cooperates for many years and participates in SCO Summits as an honoured guest, is one of the main areas of foreign policy of Turkmenistan.

The given fact is considered as token of respect for the neutral foreign policy of Turkmenistan, the head of the state stated.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev underlined hat Uzbekistan fully supports the constructive foreign policy and creative initiatives of neutral Turkmenistan meeting goals of peace, security, and wellbeing at the regional and global scale.

The topic of interested exchange of views was the agenda of the present Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. It was marked that the activity of SCO aimed at the strengthening of regional interaction in view of achievement of peace and security, development of international economic cooperation and maintenance of humanitarian links, yields concrete results.

As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov pointed out, Turkmenistan maintains good bilateral relations with SCO members and it opens great opportunities for cooperation in the multilateral format.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov confirmed adherence of Turkmenistan to friendly and trustful relations with SCO member countries and its intention to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.