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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Berdimuhamedov, friends and colleagues,

Allow me to welcome you again, this time to Sochi, Russia. Thank you for accepting our invitation to the  Background information Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) CIS summit.

We met in Turkmenistan recently, and we recollect with pleasure the warm welcome we received there. Thank you very much. We signed a number of fundamentally important documents there, including the [Strategic Cooperation] Treaty. I hope that all of them will be implemented, which will improve our interstate relations, primarily in the economy and the social sphere.

As I have said, we are grateful for your assistance in promoting the Russian language, which is important for our people who have lived in a unified state for a long time, or more precisely, for centuries. And now they maintain direct ties with each other.

I would like to again express our sincere gratitude, personally and on behalf of all my colleagues, for the work we accomplished during my official visit to Turkmenistan.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: Mr Putin, thank you for your kind words about Turkmenistan.

I would like to begin with a pleasant mission. You recently had a good day, your name day, on which I would like to congratulate you. I wish you strong health, which is the most important thing, as well as success and all the best.

I know that you are doing a great deal to improve the environment, both in your country and in the world. We have a close friend. You probably know what I mean: it is a dog, an Alabai. I have brought an Alabai puppy for you today. The dog’s name is Wepaly (Faithful). I believe this is a popular dog name in Russia as well. The Alabai was the mascot of the Asian [Indoor and Martial Arts] Games, which we hosted recently. I believe we can show the dog to the journalists.

Vladimir Putin: Of course, we can.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: I think you will like him. Our dogs are healthy.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I do know that. (Laughs.)

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov: But the most important thing is that they are very faithful dogs.

I would like to again thank you for inviting us to attend the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State. This is very important to us, because this international organisation is a major asset. So, we would like to once again thank you for inviting us here.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

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