President Vladimir Putin : Dear Gurbanguly Kulievich!
First of all, I would like to say how happy I am that you accepted our invitation and came to visit us. I would like to once again congratulate you on your election to the post of President of the Republic of Turkmenistan. And I would like to once again emphasise that the very convincing results of your election are evidence of the people of Turkmenistan’s trust in you.
Over the past few years our relations have developed in the best possible way: our economic cooperation is increasing and, as a matter of fact, we have very important partnerships in the fuel and energy sector.
I am very glad to see that our work has produced good results and that we have good prospects for future cooperation. You known that, at your request, we just recently launched another branch of the gas pipeline along the Caspian Sea and we are now pumping more than five million cubic metres of gas through this pipeline every day. There is scope for expanding our activities in these areas.
Today we are very happy to welcome you to Moscow and to have the possibility to discuss all aspects of our varied and multifaceted cooperation, today’s events, and our plans to develop our cooperation in the mid- and long-term future.
Welcome!
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov:
Thank you Vladimir Vladimirovich!
First of all, we are sincerely grateful for your hospitality. Thank you for inviting us and for honouring us.
I must point it out that relations between Turkmenistan and Russia have historical roots. They have been intertwined for centuries and, therefore, I think that your invitation will once again provide an important stimulus for our mutually-beneficial relations, relations that must develop in the interests of our states and peoples.
Thank you once again for the invitation.