Azerbaijani, Turkmen presidents meet in Ashgabat [UPDATE]

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat, Azernews reports citing Azertac.

Saying that he was pleased to welcome the head of state to Ashgabat, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov thanked President Ilham Aliyev for accepting the invitation to attend the Summit. Recalling that the first Summit was held in Ashgabat in 2002, the President of Turkmenistan stressed that the event had laid the foundation for long-term cooperation. Touching upon the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in 2018, Serdar Berdimuhamedov said that work was underway on many agreements on cooperation in transport, shipping, peace, environmental security, fisheries, emergency warning and prevention in the Caspian Sea. Noting that the Caspian Sea was a common wealth, the Turkmen leader thanked President Ilham Aliyev for his personal contribution to the development of fruitful cooperation in the region.

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Expressing his gratitude for the invitation, President Ilham Aliyev, first of all, congratulated Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his election as President of Turkmenistan and wished him success in his work. The President of Azerbaijan recalled with pleasure that he had sent a letter to Serdar Berdimuhamedov and congratulated him on the phone. President Ilham Aliyev also expressed his confidence that the sustainable development achieved in Turkmenistan would be continued under the leadership of Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Touching upon the importance of the Summit, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Turkmenistan had initiated the Summit of the Caspian littoral states 20 years ago and laid the foundation for broad and multilateral cooperation in the Caspian Sea, emphasizing the importance of signing the Convention.

Hailing Turkmenistan's contribution to cooperation in the Caspian Sea and among Caspian littoral states, the President of Azerbaijan expressed his confidence that today's Summit would be another step towards strengthening cooperation in the areas of security, ecology and water resources. Noting that the Caspian Sea was a sea that united the peoples who had lived as neighbors for centuries, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that future secure development in the region would continue to be ensured, emphasizing the great role of Caspian littoral states.

Noting that bilateral relations were developing successfully, the head of state said that Azerbaijan highly appreciates these ties. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that efforts continue to be made in a bilateral format with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to raise the level of interstate relations further in the years to come.