Today President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Sergei Lebedev, who heads the Mission of Observers from the CIS for the upcoming elections to the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.

The Head of state noted that the elections of deputies of the national parliament, as well as members of local authorities and self-government, scheduled for March 26, are a significant social and political event in the life of the country.

In this regard, the President of Turkmenistan expressed gratitude to the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth and the Secretary General of the CIS for their participation in monitoring the electoral process.

CIS Secretary General S. Lebedev informed the Head of state about the activities of the CIS Mission, emphasizing that all conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for the effective work of international observers.

In continuation of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the Secretary General of the CIS discussed priority issues of cooperation in the Commonwealth format, stating with satisfaction that the traditionally friendly interstate partnership is progressive and dynamic.

Turkmenistan takes a proactive stance in matters of interaction in the CIS space, as evidenced by the regularly put forward proposals to expand multilateral ties in various fields, including in the field of sports. As noted, for this, Turkmenistan has a good experience in holding major sporting events, and a modern integrated specialized infrastructure.

Among the main areas of partnership are the spheres of economy and trade, energy, transport, communications and telecommunications, scientific, educational, cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as strengthening cooperation in ensuring peace, security and stability in the CIS space. The issues of ecology and environmental protection were also discussed.