President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives us great pleasure to welcome Mr Berdimuhamedov, who is in Russia on his first official foreign visit as President of Turkmenistan.
And first of all I would like to present to you, Mr Berdimuhamedov, a Russian state decoration – the Order of Friendship.
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Both now as the head of state and before your election as President, you have consistently advocated building on the friendly relations and truly close partnership with Russia.
In your various government positions you have personally helped prepare and implement a number of joint initiatives and important agreements. As a co-chairman of the Russia-Turkmenistan intergovernmental commission you were actively involved in practical issues of promoting bilateral trade and economic relations.
I congratulate you on this decoration and wish you further successes in the post of President for the sustainable and stable development of Turkmenistan and the well-being of the citizens of your country.
(Presentation ceremony.)
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov: Mr President,
It is a great honour for me to accept this high decoration. I accept this high decoration from you as a sign of respect for Turkmenistan.
Relying on a solid foundation of friendship, neighbourliness and deep historical ties, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation have been consistently strengthening their bilateral relations and steadily developing joint plans and programmes of cooperation in the economy, energy, transport, industry, agriculture and many other areas.
Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation see clearly the goals in their relations and are ready to achieve them. We have every opportunity to do so.
Mr President,
May this high decoration be yet another symbol of the inviolability of our strategic partnership, friendship, neighbourliness and cooperation between our two peoples and states.
Thank you once again for this high decoration.
Thank you.