Serdar Berdimuhamedov

During the year of the "Treasure of Wisdom of Magtymguly Fragi," a series of international events are being held in our country, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Eastern thinker Magtymguly Fragi and the declaration of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024. In our independent country, international conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and business meetings are regularly held, which has now become a good tradition. I am confident that such events will play a significant role in attracting large investments to the national economy and expanding mutually beneficial international partnerships. 

 

Achieving sustainable economic growth is our main goal. It defines the comprehensive economic programs that we are successfully implementing. In Turkmenistan, several major projects have already been completed, including the Turkmenistan–China gas pipeline, the gasoline production plant from natural gas in the Ahal region, the gas chemical complex for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene in the Balkan region, and the "Garabogazkarbamid" plant.

 

We have also witnessed a series of significant events. This includes the laying and launch of several projects: the Serhetabat–Herat section, called "Arkadagyň Ak ýoly" ("Arkadag's White Road"), which is the main link in the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India project, implemented with our own investments, as well as the power lines, transport, and communication lines along the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan route. 

 

We are taking constructive measures to expand international transport and transit corridors. Our country’s oil and gas sector and energy industry are developing in line with the demands of the times, with the scaling up and implementation of digital advancements. At the same time, projects are being implemented in Turkmenistan for generating electricity from renewable sources—sun and wind. 

 

We also have large investment projects based on high technologies, aimed at producing competitive products. We invite everyone to participate in projects being implemented in various sectors of the national economy, including oil and gas, chemical, energy, transport, communications, and agriculture. At the present stage, against the backdrop of global challenges, the main and unconditional priority for the Central Asian states should remain the preservation of peace, harmony, and stability. We are united in our desire to make our region prosperous, highly developed, and deeply integrated into modern global networks, while preserving our identity, independence, and the right to choose our internal and external development models. Another key aspect of regional stability is the coordination of actions by Central Asian states in the political, diplomatic, law enforcement, and special spheres.

 

Turkmenistan advocates for the activation of the work of foreign policy agencies to develop consolidated approaches to countering new known threats, destabilization of our region, protection of the information space, and prevention and neutralization of attempts to infiltrate radical and extremist elements. I believe it is important to create conditions for close and coordinated work among the border, migration, customs agencies, and special services of the Central Asian states.

 

Of course, successful economic development through close and mutually beneficial partnerships remains a priority on the regional agenda. Here, cooperation in transport and communications is of key importance. Today, this area is rapidly developing, competition is increasing, and active efforts are being made to create new transport and transit corridors in Eurasia. The common task of the Central Asian states in the very near future, I believe, should be to timely and effectively integrate our region into these processes, using geographical, logistical, and other advantages. 

 

If we talk about the transport segment, we highlight the routes through Central Asia from China to Europe and the Middle East. Specifically, we are referring to the transit corridors China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Turkey with access to Europe, as well as China–Tajikistan–Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran and further to the Middle East. We pay special attention to the cargo transportation route along the China–Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Persian Gulf line. Another significant combined water and land route is the Central Asia–Caspian–Black Sea corridor.

 

Of course, enhancing transport connectivity between Asia and Europe implies the creation of modern logistics in the territories of the Central Asian countries, harmonization of legislation, and mutual provision of customs, tariff, and other preferences. There is much work to be done here, and we propose to begin practical implementation of the listed tasks in the very near future. The strategic goal is to meet the growing energy needs of Central Asian states, taking into account the existing and future emergence of new industrial and agricultural capacities, infrastructure facilities, as well as the launch of joint production projects. We have repeatedly expressed Turkmenistan's readiness to work together with Central Asian countries in the field of energy.

 

Important issues such as expanding trade, industrial cooperation, and partnership in small and medium-sized enterprises should not be overlooked. Here, relying on good joint experience and traditions of good neighborliness, we are capable of giving proper incentives to increase trade turnover, creating and actively using new channels of interaction between business communities, and encouraging joint investments in projects.

 

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From the speeches of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, at the Sixth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State (August 9, 2024) and at the Turkmenistan Investment Forum (September 10, 2024).