Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Jan. 16 / Trend H. Hasanov /
At this stage, the relations between Turkmenistan and the European community have a qualitatively new stage, Turkmen Foreign Ministry said.
The article notes that official visit of Turkmen President to Brussels in November 2007 gave the dynamism to the further expansion of relations. Then Ashgabat demonstrated the political will and desire of the Turkmen leadership to intensify such a strategically important area of our foreign policy - the European vector.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that the Turkmen president's visits to European countries - Romania, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy and France have become important political events in the context of the European direction of foreign policy.
Several fruitful and constructive discussions were held at the highest level in Ashgabat during the visits of the presidents and heads of the governments of Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania.
The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said that the recognized status of Turkmenistan as a leading global energy power is an important factor for the relationship. In this regard, the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the energy sector has become a concrete step, which expanded the parties' cooperation in the energy sector. It was signed between Turkmenistan and the European Union in Ashgabat in 2008.
The programs are implemented to strengthen the state borders and combat illegal drug trafficking. Ashgabat is interested in developing projects aimed at interregional and international cooperation in the sphere of customs legislation and customs procedures.