President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov participated at the Summit of the ECO in Islamabad

Today, on the first of March, 2017 President of Turkmenistan left for Islamabad on a working visit to participate in the XIII Summit of the Heads of the States of the Economic Cooperation Organization member-countries.

Current meeting of the Heads of States and the Governments, high-rank representatives of the ECO members and international organizations will be important phase in the activity of the Organization for analyses of the past work and definition of perspective future directions.

The forum takes place in Serena Hotel. Official joint photography ceremony was held prior the start of the session.

Speaking at the Summit, Turkmen Leader stated that 20 years ago, on March 15, 1995, here in Islamabad there was the 3rd Meeting of the Heads of states and the Governments of the ECO member-countries, on the outcome of which the  Islamabad Declaration had been adopted, where all member-countries supported the initiative of Turkmenistan to gain its status of neutrality.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also declared that Turkmenistan recognize the system of energy supplies on international level as one of generating component of the global economy. Having made relative proposal and relying on the support of the United Nations, our country steadily implement this initiative.

Formation of modern transport and communication system is one of the priority directions of Turkmenistan state policy, said President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The national program of Turkmenistan transport system development is connected with the expansion of regional and international cooperation in this direction, says the President, stressing that the country initiates large-scale infrastructure projects and implements them jointly with foreign partners.

Speaking of large-scale regional projects initiated by Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the establishment within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organization energy and transport-transit corridors encourages the implementation of other infrastructure projects. In particular, it was noted the possibility next to pipelines being built to lay new electrical and other communications.

For implementation purposes of the decisions of the high-level conference the President of Turkmenistan called for increased cooperation in the framework of ECO, offering in this regard to hold a meeting of transport ministers of the member-countries of the Organization this year in Ashgabat.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that, in December 2015, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed a trilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of electricity, according to which, for deliveries of the electricity from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the formation of appropriate infrastructure had been foreseen.

Noting that on 14-15 November, 2017 in Ashgabat seventh Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan will be held, the President said that during the forum it will be available in more details to get acquainted with the implementation of these and other projects of regional significance.

"We should not politicize this organization, should not allow deviations from its economic substance as a primary mechanism for cooperation of states seeking to implement joint projects aimed at building capacity and achieving success in the name of the general interest," the Turkmen leader said.

As a result of high-level forum a press conference had been held.