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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Members of the press,

First of all, I want to say that it gives me genuine pleasure to meet once more in Moscow with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdymukhamedov. Our talks were very constructive, and we also had a separate meeting yesterday, at which we discussed all the different areas of our cooperation.

I want to say frankly that our talks took place in a trusting and constructive spirit. This spirit, which characterises the Russian-Turkmenistani dialogue at the top level, helps us to achieve real results in our cooperation, and we value it very much. We have a genuine partnership.

We continued our exchange of views on a wide range of subjects today, above all, on key issues regarding bilateral cooperation. The package of agreements signed just now on various areas of our cooperation is visible evidence of the results we have achieved. This is an important package of agreements.

We discussed in great detail yesterday and today our trade and economic relations and the potential for investment cooperation. I already spoke about this today. I cannot but mention it again now and say that our bilateral trade is showing good growth. It has reached a considerable figure, and this increase has been the result of efforts made over this recent period.

But at the same time, we clearly have much potential for diversifying our cooperation and developing investment opportunities. In this respect, I think that the intergovernmental agreement that was just signed on encouragement and mutual protection of investment is a highly valuable document.

We took a detailed look at our cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, including the state of progress on important agreements such as the intergovernmental agreement on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline and a number of other projects. We have also made progress in drafting new documents and drawing up new projects in the gas sector. Work on these documents will continue, and I think they will soon be ready for signing.

Also on the agenda is expansion of our industrial cooperation. Russian companies and prominent Russian brands, including Gazprom, Lukoil, Russian Railways, KamAZ, ITERA, Stroitransgaz, Soyuzneftegaz and a number of others, have established solid positions on the Turkmenistani market, and this is laying the ground for important joint projects.

We also spoke about developing transport infrastructure today. An agreement has just been signed on organising a direct rail-ferry link. I hope that this link will become an important part of the North-South transport corridor, which is of immense important for our countries’ development.

I think that the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal immigration, and organised crime are important aspects of our cooperation, and an agreement in this area between our respective ministries and services was signed today. It involves cooperation in the areas that come under the responsibility of our ministries of internal affairs and security services, and also our prosecutor generals’ offices.

We see excellent prospects in developing our humanitarian contacts. This covers cooperation in education, science and culture. The agreement on reciprocal recognition of diplomas that was signed just now is a big step forward in this area.

I note too that our humanitarian contacts are gaining in substance. We realise the need to implement the agreements that have been reached on holding Days of Russian Culture in Turkmenistan this year and Days of Turkmenistani Culture in Russia next year. We are very pleased that our friends in Turkmenistan show interest in the multilateral humanitarian projects carried out within the CIS framework. I think that we have already achieved much in this area, and it is good to see that considerable progress has been made.

We also discussed cooperation on the international stage. During our talks today and our meeting yesterday, we confirmed the high level of mutual understanding we have on regional and international issues. We discussed very complicated matters such as the situation in Afghanistan and the surrounding areas. These discussions confirmed the closeness of our views on a broad range of international issues, and on international policy issues, and this has been reflected in the joint declaration that the President of Turkmenistan and I have just signed.

We are continuing our security cooperation, including in economic security, by which I mean in particular Turkmenistan’s initiative on ensuring and maintaining the reliable and stable operation of the international gas transport system. The Russian Federation supports this initiative and will act as co-sponsor of this process.

There are serious issues regarding guaranteeing security in the Caspian region. In this area, we base ourselves on the existing agreements, but we know that there is also much still to be done to complete work on a number of the most important issues for cooperation in the region.

I would like once more to sincerely thank Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich for the exceptionally friendly and constructive spirit in which today’s talks took place. I am sure that it was this spirit, and the readiness to take into account each other’s interests, that have made the President of Turkmenistan’s visit so productive. I am sure that we will continue to implement the plans we outlined today.

Thank you, Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov: Dmitry Anatolyevich!

Dear friends and colleagues! Members of the press! Ladies and Gentlemen!

First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dmitry Anatolyevich on behalf of our Turkmenistani delegation for receiving us, for your hospitality, and for creating favourable conditions for our joint work.

I would like to note that Dmitry Anatolyevich and I looked at many issues, including ones relating to today’s complicated situation, by which I mean the worldwide issues of stability, issues of security, and peace issues. Of course, we are looking at all of these questions through the perspective of international organisations – first and foremost, the United Nations. As Dmitry Anatolyevich has already noted, we are concerned about issues of international terrorism, cross-border crime, and the illegal drug trade – an issue which is the subject of a range of documents that we have just signed in the area of law enforcement.

We also dealt with issues regarding our economy. I would like to say this again, because there really is a very good trend of economic growth between Turkmenistan and Russia, and our trade turnover is increasing – in the last year, it went up by 45 percent. Cumulatively, the turnover in 2008 made up 7 billion dollars, but that is still not the limit.

If we look at individual sectors, we see that first and foremost, growth is occurring in the oil and gas sector. I would like to note right away that the agreements which we signed, the long-term agreements, are being fulfilled normally, without any problems. As Dmitry Anatolyevich has already said, we will expand these agreements.

At this point, I must note and express great gratitude toward Dmitry Anatolyevich and all of Russia, for supporting us on issues of stability in the transit of energy resources, where Turkmenistan has presented an initiative, and where a United Nations resolution was supported. You not only supported us, but you were also co-authors, or co-sponsors, and we are grateful for it.

In regard to transport: it was stipulated that we are now organising the railroad and ferry connection between Astrakhan, Makhachkala, and the city of Turkmenbashi [on the Caspian Sea]. I would also like to add something that you are probably aware of: we are building a transcontinental railroad through Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. Today, we were just talking about having Russian Railways build us a segment of that railroad. We are grateful for that as well, and will continue in this way.

It is hard for me to find a sector in which we are not cooperating: we cooperate in agriculture and communications, and this is evidenced by the Turkmenistani-Russian Economic Forum that was held yesterday. So I am using this opportunity to also express my great appreciation toward the co-chairmen of the intergovernmental commission.

As we have noted, we are also active in the field of culture and humanities. And I believe that the documents which were signed today regarding issues of equality and nostrification will create greater potential in science, not only for the scientific elite of Turkmenistan and Russia, but overall as well. These developments will give very good practical results, so we are thankful for that, too.

In regard to issues of education, you probably know that we are currently in the finishing stages of creating the Pushkin Turkmen-Russian School. Why do I bring this up? Because today, I think that this school is truly unrivaled, and that is without even mentioning its multimedia-based, interactive approach to education. We will probably even provide it with Internet access through your satellite connection. We have created the foundation for this school together, and soon, we will open it together. In this regard, we also have good cooperation, and I would like to use this opportunity to once again thank you, Dmitry Anatolyevich, for creating an opportunity for our youth, the young people of Turkmenistan, to study in your educational institutions. And I think that in the future, we will increase this quota. In 2008, we opened a branch of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas. We are currently preparing additional investment into equipment, and I think that we will place this equipment in the new university.

Dmitry Anatolyevich, I would like to use this occasion to invite you to Turkmenistan at any time that is convenient for you, because you will be the most awaited and honoured guest in Turkmenistan. And I would like to emphasize that for the Turkmenistani people, Russia is a great and powerful nation. That is why I think that the potential we have today is something that we will always use for the benefit of Turkmenistani and Russian people.

And, having this opportunity, I would like to wish the greatest happiness and success to all Russians.

Thank you for your attention.