Today, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov made a working visit to the Russian Federation where he took part in the informal summit of heads of countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Officials saw off the head of Turkmenistan at the international airport of Ashgabat.

In the conversation, which took place in the capital air harbour with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to our country I. Volynkin, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with satisfaction stated an effective character of the interstate dialogue built on a strong basis of strategic partnership, equitable to radical interests of two friendly people.

As the plenipotentiary underlined, Russia highly appreciates fruitful relations with Turkmenistan, attaching a great significance to the all-round deepening of bilateral interaction in political-diplomatic, trade and economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Having noted presence of high potential for further intensification of fruitful relations in all key areas, the diplomat expressed confidence that participation of head of the state Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the regular informal meeting of leaders of countries of the Commonwealth is called to promote further expansion of fruitful Turkmen-Russian partnership as well as to become an effective step to development of multilateral cooperation in the space of CIS.

... Our independent neutral fatherland, which takes an active position in solution of topical issues of global agenda, brings a powerful contribution to maintenance of peace, security, trust and sustainable development on the planet. At that, a special attention is given to the deepening of the meaningful dialogue with all interested parties, first of all with authoritative international organisations and regional structures.

Turkmenistan, which is owing to its neutral status, an associated member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, builds relations with states-participants of CIS on equal foots and mutually beneficial basis taking into account overall goals and national interests of each of the parties. This position of our country promotes strengthening of historically developed strong bonds of friendship, good neighbourhood and effective relations and successful realisation of significant large joint projects in various areas.

Being firmly adhered to strategic partnership with CIS states both in bilateral and multilateral formats, Turkmenistan aspires to promote in every possible way strengthening of mutually beneficial relations in the Commonwealth and supplementation of interrelations with new concrete content. The regular participation of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the CIS summits and much needed initiatives put forward serve the best example for it.

… In few hours, the presidential airliner landed at the Pulkovo international airport of St. Petersburg, where officials met the head of Turkmenistan.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the regular summit.

Before the start of the high-level meeting, according to the program of stay of honoured guests in St.-Petersburg, heads of CIS countries-participants visited sights of the cultural capital of Russia. In particular, they familiarised themselves with expositions of the Pavlovsk State Museum, Tsarskoe Selo State Museum and Heritage Site in Pushkin city and Peterhof State Museum-Reserve.

... The motorcade of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proceeded to a complex of the Pavlovsk State Museum. At the main entrance, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin warmly and hospitably met the head of the state.

In the second half of the day, in the State Complex “The National Congress Palace”, located in the Konstantinovsky Palace, the informal Summit took place.

Opening the summit, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin once again warmly greeted everybody, having expressed his gratitude for accepting the invitation to visit St.-Petersburg for participation in the informal Pre-New Year Summit.

During speeches, a short analysis of results of the work carried out for the current year was given and key areas of joint activity in the CIS format for the immediate future were defined.

As a whole, 2023 for the Commonwealth was fruitful and productive. As was marked, the fact that all provided actions have been successfully carried out and the reached agreements urged to promote further development of cooperation between friendly countries in all spheres, fulfilment of new mutually beneficial economic, transport-logistics, cultural-humanitarian and other projects can serve the best example for it.

The key issues of international character, which evoke mutual interest, also became the topic of interested discussion.

It is necessary to note that the important factor of successful activity in the Commonwealth space, certainly, is that all member countries of the Organization are attached to the basic principles put in the base of partnership at regional and world level. At the same time, for the past years CIS states steadily followed the course of cooperation, a reliable basis of which serves good will, equality and trust of parties.

The present high-level meeting serves another example of mutual aspiration and determination of neighbouring regional countries to bring out the traditionally fruitful dialogue to a qualitatively new level and give it more complex and intensive character proceeding from the obtained positive experience of joint activity and achievements of national economies taking into account available enormous economic and resource potential of all parties.

Considering the Commonwealth of Independent States as a unique platform for development of long-term partnership, our country regularly puts forward specific proposals, the overall objective of which is development of effective time demanded forms of interaction.

In the given context, it is necessary to remind that during the regular meeting of the Council of heads of CIS states, which took place on October 13 of the current year, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov put forward new constructive initiatives, practical realisation of which are called to give an effective impulse to long-term interstate relations in the CIS format as well as provide security, stability and sustainable development not only in the Commonwealth space, but also in the world.

At the same time, it is important to underline that the priority positions of Turkmenistan sounded at the Bishkek Summit, completely answer the initiatives presented by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov from the high tribune of the General Assembly of the United Nations. In particular, it is discussion of possibilities of development of the Global Security Strategy under the aegis of the United Nations as well as establishment of the Institute of Neutrality and Security and further strengthening of multilateral partnership within the framework of Group of friends of neutrality, created at the initiative of the Turkmen side at the United Nations and creation of Security Conference/Dialogue in Central Asia under the aegis of the United Nations.

In addition to it, during the high level meeting that took place in the autumn of 2023 President Serdar Berdimuhamedov supported consolidation of further efforts on counteraction to such serious challenges of modern world as terrorist danger, drug trafficking, human trafficking, penetration of radical and extremist elements into the CIS space and issues connected with cyber threats and other challenges.

Certainly, priority area of partnership within the Commonwealth is economy. In this connection, it is important to mention that in 2019 in Ashgabat at the CIS Summit the Declaration of Strategic Economic Cooperation of states-participants of the Commonwealth, developed at the initiative of National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was signed. The given document laid down a basis of the Strategy of Economic Development of the CIS up to 2030, providing close interaction in spheres of trade, industrial cooperation, transport, energy, investments and in other branches. These are namely sectors, in which the Commonwealth states can adequately compete in foreign markets and propose potential partners favourable conditions for productive cooperation.

Marking importance of advancement of economic interests of the CIS for its geographical limits, integration in joint projects of neighbouring countries and regions, the Turkmen side repeatedly put forward initiatives on diversification of energy, transport -communication components in the context of development of large scale North-South and East-West infrastructural corridors. The CIS states united by geography and primordial relations of friendship and brotherhood, have today objective advantages, an optimum use of which is equitable to interests of general well-being.

The partnership in humanitarian sphere remains a key one in the CIS format. Cultural interaction and spiritual affinity of people of our countries, centuries old general history are a strong base on which integration processes within the Commonwealth are built.

In the given context, it is also necessary to point out that expansion of contacts in this area became the basic theme of the agenda of the meeting of the Council of heads of governments of CIS states-participants that took place on December 18, the current year. Interaction in spheres of science and education, culture and art, youth policy as well as public health services and sports, in mutual opinion of heads of the CIS countries is an integral factor of rapprochement of countries and people, consolidations of confidential relations between them.

One more significant vector of interaction on the CIS platform- parliaments, active involvement of experience of Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States for these purposes. In this plan, it is important to note that Turkmenistan considers that taking into account an increasing role of parliamentary diplomacy in the modern world, such format, which unites heads of parliaments of the CIS states, today is demanded more than ever.

Our country stands up for increase of international authority of the Commonwealth of Independent States, its positive influence on modern global and regional processes. All these years CIS states have firmly defended principles of equality and respectfulness in interstate relations, support establishment of culture of peace and dialogue, consolidation of stability and security on the planet on the global agenda, bringing a powerful contribution to fulfilment of SDGs.

In the given context, their active and productive interaction on platforms of international and regional organisations, adjusted practice of mutual support by in consideration and adoption of important resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations and voting by nominees in electoral bodies of the United Nations are rather indicative.

At the recently 49^th plenary meeting of the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which took place on December 19 of the current year, the Resolutions proposed by Turkmenistan – “The key role of reliable and stable energy connectivity in ensuring sustainable development” and "Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development goals", co-authors of which were countries-partners in the Commonwealth, were considered and unanimously adopted.

Support rendered to each other by CIS states-participants on the international scene speaks of the fact that the countries of the Commonwealth possessing huge political-diplomatic potential, act from consolidated positions in the United Nations Organization, other authoritative international and regional structures. At that, all member countries proceed from necessity to bring back into world politics respect for the right, culture of dialogue, trust and predictability in relations between states.

Such approach allows the Commonwealth of Independent States during already more than thirty years to keep flexibility and to develop the mechanisms aimed at development of integration processes within the CIS in perspective vectors of multilateral partnership and as a whole determines existence of the given Association as an integral element of system of international stability and security.

At the present summit, a special emphasis was made on importance to add to traditional partnership a qualitatively new content, proceeding from commonality of upcoming goals and objectives. At that, necessity of creation of effective mechanisms of system political consultations between CIS member countries taking into account positive experience of joint work was also marked.

During exchange of opinions on priority areas of interaction based upon the nearest and long-term prospect of the heads of states expressed firm confidence that the decisions and reached agreements during the current year within various forums, actions and meetings will promote deepening of interstate relations in the CIS space for general interests and good of friendly people.

As a whole, the present high level meeting in the informal format, at which issue of both regional and international significance were discussed, became the next evident acknowledgement of aspiration of the CIS countries-participants to build cooperation within the Commonwealth in the spirit of strategic partnership, mutual benefit taking into account interests of all states.

Upon completion of the program of the working visit to the Russian Federation, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov headed towards the Pulkovo international airport, from where he left for home.

In the conversation, which took place in the air harbour of Ashgabat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan I. Volynkin congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the success of his working visit and marked that participation of the head of the state in the informal Summit serves as evidence of productively developing interstate relations, which are based on principles of mutual respect and equalities and commonality of spiritual and moral values of people of CIS countries. At the same time, they expressed firm confidence that traditionally friendly Turkmen-Russian cooperation will be further strengthened on a mutually beneficial and long-term basis, being filled with new concrete contents.