Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 1 / Trend H.Hasanov /
Turkmen and Japanese officials discussed issues of mutual concern during Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yutaka Banno's recent visit to Ashgabat, an official Turkmen source reported.
Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama signed a joint statement on further the development of friendship, partnership and cooperation during Berdimuhammedov's visit to Japan in December 2009. The parties also reaffirmed their readiness to pursue a dialogue between their foreign ministries and parliaments.
The source positively assessed the "favorable development of friendly relations and the need to further strengthen ties." In particular, both sides expressed their determination to cooperate actively in the early realization of U.N. reform. The parties noted that international terrorism and drug trafficking seriously threaten international security and stability and that they will strengthen cooperation in bilateral and multilateral basis to jointly combat these threats.
The parties also agreed on further cooperation in disarmament and nonproliferation, including the implementation of measures to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in the international arena and taking part in the upcoming review conference on the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.