Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the 20th Meeting of Council of Heads of Government of Member States of Shangai Cooperation Organization online. A wide range of issues of developing cooperation within the SCO were discussed during the meeting.

Particular attention was paid to deepening partnerships in trade, economic, investment and humanitarian spheres, including in the context of overcoming the consequences of the coronavirus infection pandemic.

Addressing the heads of delegations, the Deputy Prime Minister greeted all participants of the meeting on behalf of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Expressing gratitude to the Chairman of the 20th Meeting of Council of Heads of Government of Member States of Shangai Cooperation Organization, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin for the invitation to participate in the meeting, Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that this meeting would strengthen our cooperation, expand the spheres of interaction, and help each of the states achieve great success in socio-economic development.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, it is important that the SCO member states have long-term partner relations with Turkmenistan. It was noted that Turkmenistan considered development of relations with the SCO with the general orientation of our participation in world and continental affairs.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov underlined that the interests of Turkmenistan and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization had common strategic parameters. It is necessary to transfer these interests into a practical plane, to fill them with real content via implementation of promising joint international projects.

As the Deputy Prime Minister noted Turkmenistan recognized the significant potential of our cooperation in the energy and transport sectors, in trade and investment, industry and agriculture, in the field of high technologies and innovations.

Particular attention was paid to the development potential in the transport sector and the fact that the combined transport and logistics system created in Turkmenistan is focused on connecting main routes along the North-South and East-West lines. In this regard, the Government of Turkmenistan will continue widening relations between business circles in order to develop specific projects in these areas.

According to Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan put forward a number of international initiatives, aimed at creating new and improving existing mechanisms of partnership in the treatment and prevention of diseases. He expressed belief that SCO’s support to these proposals would contribute to their effective implementation in the interests of the whole world and establishment of systemic international mechanisms to counter dangerous infections in the long term.

At the end of his speech, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers conveyed an invitation from President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to all participants, members and observers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to participate in the International Conference of Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries, planned to be held jointly with the United Nations in April 2022.