Manama, Feb. 22 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received at Gudaibiya Palace today the President of the Republic of Turkmenistan, Mr. Sardar Berdymukhamedov, and his accompanying delegation, who are currently visiting the Kingdom.
Upon the arrival of the President of Turkmenistan to the Gudaibiya Palace, an official reception was held in his honor. The national anthem of the two countries was played, and the artillery fired 21 salutes to the distinguished guest of the Kingdom.
His Majesty King Hamad and the Turkmen president held a joint meeting during which they reviewed the strong friendship between the two countries, as well as areas of joint cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, cultural and tourism fields. They also discussed the latest regional and global developments of common interest.
The President of Turkmenistan expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Majesty the King for the warm welcome and hospitality.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President Sardar Berdi Muhammadu exchanged gifts on this occasion.
Then, His Majesty the King and the Turkmen President held an expanded session of talks, which was attended by the delegations of the two countries.
His Majesty the King delivered the following speech:
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful
His Excellency Serdar Berdymukhamedov, President of the Republic of Turkmenistan,
Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Hello and welcome to the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the occasion of your first visit to it, in response to our invitation emanating from our great interest in the strong historical relations between our two countries, which extend for more than a quarter of a century, in addition to our keenness to follow up the results of our visit to your brotherly country, whose ancient history, bright present and generosity of its people amazed us. During the visit, we opened a new chapter of our cooperation and rapprochement, and we look forward with you today to build on the joint plans that we agreed upon, taking into account everything that enhances and develops our strategic interests.
It is a good and valuable opportunity for us to meet with you here today, along with your esteemed delegation of senior officials, to start a new round of discussions to develop our partnerships in various areas of common interest, taking into account the possibilities available in our two countries, especially in the fields of investment and trade, in addition to the sector Energy, food security, tourism and cultural exchange, which will contribute to raising the levels of economic growth in the two countries.
In this regard, we would like to thank the committee responsible for following up the implementation of our bilateral agreements, which we ordered to be formed in the Kingdom of Bahrain, to provide everything necessary to develop our fraternal relations based on mutual trust, understanding and respect.
Your Excellency, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, we attach great importance to your historic visit to our country, as we aspire to develop our partnership, coordinate our positions on regional issues, and address current global challenges to contribute to maintaining global security and stability, and by working together to propose peaceful solutions to strengthen friendly relations between countries and peoples. And our guide in this is the civilization of Islam to which our two countries belong, which is rooted in the values of tolerance, coexistence and moderation that we really appreciate, and we always extend our hands for it for good and good. Human safety.
On this honorable occasion, we are pleased to award Your Excellency the Medal of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of the first degree, to express our great appreciation for your role and the influential contributions of your country in establishing international security and maintaining inclusiveness. stability in neighboring countries.
In conclusion, we would like to welcome you once again, our honorable guests, to the land of Bahrain, whose people share appreciation and love with you, and we wish you happiness here.
Peace, mercy and blessings of God.
Then, His Majesty the King awarded the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of the first degree to the President of Turkmenistan, in appreciation of his efforts to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries.
After that, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov delivered the following speech:
Your Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, my dear brother
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to His Majesty the King for your invitation to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain and for your generous hospitality and warm welcome.
I convey to you the greetings of His Excellency, the national leader of the Turkmen people, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
I thank you for your constructive efforts to develop relations between the two brotherly countries.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1995, we have come a long way in shaping an effective model of cooperation based on friendship, brotherhood, equality and mutual respect.
The foundations for this fruitful dialogue were laid in 2019 during the official visit of His Majesty the King to Turkmenistan, during which important agreements were reached.
We note the existence of fruitful cooperation in various multilateral forums, particularly in the United Nations Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and a number of other international organizations.
We highly appreciate the constructive position taken by Bahrain regarding Turkmenistan’s neutrality and international initiatives on crucial issues in the world.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has regularly supported projects and resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on energy and transport issues proposed by Turkmenistan.
In turn, Turkmenistan strongly supported the constructive proposals put forward by Bahrain.
With regard to trade and economic relations, we would like to emphasize the existence of wide potential for establishing joint ventures with Bahrain in the leading economic sectors in Turkmenistan, such as the fuel and energy complex, the refining industry, construction, cargo transportation, and textile production.
As a first step, we invite our Bahraini partners to consider a proposal to hold business and investment forums and exhibitions next year.
We welcome the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the humanitarian field, the establishment of close cooperation in various fields such as science and education, and the holding of cultural days on a regular basis.
Your Majesty,
Turkmenistan values and cherishes fraternal and friendly relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we believe that this visit will be a strong incentive to explore more of the enormous potential for cooperation for the interests of our peoples and countries.
We invite you once again to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan and we will warmly welcome you and you will be our honorable guest.
Your Majesty,
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to His Majesty the King for awarding me the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of the first degree during my first official visit to the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain.
I accept this as a clear symbol of respect for Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people who are committed to the comprehensive development of friendly relations between Turkmenistan and Bahrain.
I reiterate my deep gratitude for this award.
I wish you health and wellness and the people of the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain prosperity, peace and development.”
During the official talks, the two leaders affirmed their constant keenness to strengthen the distinguished long-term relations between the two countries, in addition to expanding areas of joint cooperation, and benefiting from their expertise and investment opportunities to enhance bilateral relations.
They also affirmed their support for all efforts aimed at consolidating regional and global stability, security and peace, and promoting the concepts of tolerance, dialogue and coexistence among different peoples.
They also attended the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries.
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