Afghanistan-Turkmenistan Relationship Revitalized
President Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmenistan counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow on Thursday signed a “Strategic Partnership Agreement” in Ashgabat where both countries pledged to expand bilateral relations on a number of key areas including economy, trade, transit and joint efforts towards fighting terrorism.
The two countries also signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on cultural exchanges between Turkmenistan Academy of Science and National Archive of Afghanistan, railway project, aviation, customs, petroleum, gas and energy transfer.
According to a statement by the Presidential Palace (ARG), the signing of Afghanistan-Turkmenistan Strategic Partnership Agreement will help the two countries to further expand their political, economic and security cooperation.
Ghani meanwhile said that the Strategic Partnership Agreement is a milestone and will increase relations between the two nations.
“In line with this agreement, relations between the two countries will remain sustainable and based on mutual respect and mutual interests,” Ghani said.
In addition, president Berdimuhamedow said his country strongly supports the resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan through diplomatic means and that Turkmenistan is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in this regard.
Ghani said terrorism is a serious problem in the region and the world and there is a need for cooperation and coordination to tackle the issue.
Currently, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are cooperating on a number of areas including energy and commerce and over the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project.
The Turkmen leader has said that the implementation of TAPI project will create over 12,000 jobs in Afghanistan and that the country will gain $1 billion in benefits from the project annually.
