The top-level talks between the President of Turkmenistan and the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan took place at the Ruhyet Palace in Ashgabat. Greeting President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked the distinguished guest for the accepted invitation to pay an official visit to our country and expressed belief that the meeting would become an important step towards the enhancement of the interstate trust-based and constructive dialogue. Emphasizing the progressive dynamics of the bilateral cooperation, based on the principles of fraternity and neighbourliness, the President of Turkmenistan noted that the political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation was aimed at ensuring the prosperity of our peoples. It was also noted that within 27 years of diplomatic relations between the states, they have been developed not only in the bilateral format, but also in the framework of the international organisations, on the platforms of which Afghanistan has always supported Turkmenistan’s initiatives. In recent years, the mutual sales turnover between the two countries has increased. Based on the common cultural and historical roots, the peoples of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan develop cooperation in the humanitarian sphere – in the areas of education, science, sports. Expressing gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the cordial welcome and hospitality, the distinguished guest underlined that he was happy with the opportunity to visit Turkmenistan once again. The guest noted that the people of Afghanistan sincerely appreciated the friendly and fraternal relations with our country, as well as highly evaluated the Turkmen leader’s peace-loving policy that stands as an integral factor of security, stability and sustainable development in the region. The distinguished guest noted that in recent years, Afghanistan had passed the way that is equal to decades, emphasizing the significant role of the President of Turkmenistan in this regard and expressing sincere gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the people of Turkmenistan for their assistance in the socio-economic revival of Afghanistan, including through the implementation of infrastructural projects in various fields. During the meeting, Presidents Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Mohammad Ashraf Ghani discussed the key areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, focusing on the progress of implementation of the agreements achieved earlier and the prospects for partnership. Particular attention was paid to the joint projects of great importance for the entire region, including the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline and the formation of transit transport corridors. The leaders of the two states expressed the mutual interest in expanding Turkmen-Afghan cooperation in the trade, economic, humanitarian and cultural spheres. The parties also exchanged views on a number of important issues of the regional and international politics of mutual interest.