Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, July 1 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
The U.S. government hopes for further constructive discussions of important issues on the agenda for a forthcoming second round of annual bilateral consultations, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Robert J. Patterson says.
The letter is addressed to the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov on the occasion of his birthday and on the eve of the 20th anniversary of independence. It also says that the U.S. "appreciates" the efforts of the Turkmen government in strengthening stability in the region and, in particular, the important efforts to support the Afghan government and people.
The first round of political consultations was held about a year ago in Ashgabat. The U.S. side was represented at the meeting by the Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake. He was accompanied by several dozen high-ranking officials and the U.S. businesses representatives.
The consultations focused on all aspects of relations between the two countries, including Afghanistan's main concerns: cooperation in security, human rights, energy and economic cooperation.