On October 25, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree on awarding President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev with the Bitaraplyk (Neutrality) Order of Turkmenistan, the TDH state news agency reported .
Tokayev was awarded "for special merits in recognizing the permanent neutrality of independent Turkmenistan, strengthening friendly relations between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, as well as taking into account the great personal contribution to the development of long-term cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, scientific, educational and cultural spheres."
On October 24-25, the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan took place. The main news was the agreement to increase the supply of Kazakh wheat to Turkmenistan.
Photo: akorda.kz
At a joint press briefing for the media, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reiterated that Kazakhstan is ready to increase the supply of products from the metallurgical, engineering, petrochemical, food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as agricultural products, primarily flour and wheat . Kazakhstan is also ready to significantly increase imports of Turkmen gas , Akorda reports .
Tokayev said that the governments were instructed to speed up the signing of the Agreement on the Encouragement and Protection of Investments, and also proposed to create a special border trade zone with a car cargo terminal on the border of the Mangistau region and the Balkan velayat.
Touching upon the topic of transport cooperation, the head of Kazakhstan noted the importance of full-fledged loading of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran highway, for which it is necessary to optimize the tariff policy and improve transportation conditions in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to stimulate the growth of traffic volumes.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also supported Berdymukhamedov's initiative to build a bridge across the Garabogaz Bay to launch a new highway in the direction of Kazakhstan and promised to explore opportunities for joint implementation of this project.
In July, while inspecting the port in Turkmenbashi, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov ordered the construction of a new bridge across the Garabogaz canal. According to the head of state, this bridge is an important part of the Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan automobile route. Reconstruction of the road leading to it will allow in the future to connect the highway with the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway and increase the throughput of the road system.
In addition, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited his colleague to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan next year.
In their joint Statement (quoted by TDH), the presidents "emphasized the importance of the signed Treaty between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the delimitation of the Turkmen-Kazakh state border and delimitation of adjacent fishing zones in the Caspian Sea, which will fully complete the process of delimitation of the state border between the two countries ."
The TDH also notes that the heads of state called for the further development of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, illegal migration, drug trafficking, organized crime and other threats to international security both at the bilateral level and within international structures, including the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center for the fight with the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors in the city of Almaty (CARICC), the post of director of which will be held by a representative of Turkmenistan from 2022 .
The parties agreed to take coordinated measures to reduce water pollution, atmospheric air, land degradation, to increase the area of forest plantations, to reduce the risks of natural disasters, including floods, mudflows, droughts, as well as to provide clean drinking water .
“The water resources of the transboundary rivers of Central Asia are the common good of the peoples of the region, the fate of tens of millions of people, the stability and prosperity of the region depend on the fair and rational use of these resources. In this regard, the need to continue the dialogue and constructive cooperation, search for fair and rational solutions was recognized, ”the statement says.
It is reported that Tokayev supported Berdymukhamedov's initiative to establish a WHO Special Program for the Study of the Coronavirus Genome, the WHO Multilateral Mechanism for the Control of Pneumonia, the WHO Methodological Center for the Treatment and Prevention of Acute Infections, and the Central Asian Regional Center for Epidemiology, Virology and Bacteriology.
During the state visit, the President of Kazakhstan visited the historical complex dedicated to the battle of 1881, the veneration of those killed in the Second World War and the commemoration of the victims of the Ashgabat earthquake of 1948; laid a wreath at the Monument of Independence of Turkmenistan and planted a tree on the Alley of Honorary Guests.
The Turkmen state television also reported that Tokayev presented Berdymukhamedov with a Chinese-made Yutong bus produced in Kazakhstan.
The QazTehna plant, which produces buses, electric buses and special equipment, was opened in the city of Saran, Karaganda region in December 2020.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan