Turkmenistan, Ashkhabad, Jan.21 /Trend H.Hasanov/
At the last meeting of the Turkmenistan's government on Saturday, it was reported about the preparations for the forthcoming visit of the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai to Ashkhabad, the Turkmen government said.
Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized "the invariable commitment of Turkmenistan to the traditional relations of friendship and fruitful cooperation with the neighboring country, the intention to continue providing effective assistance to the fraternal Afghan people in building a peaceful and prosperous life and in restoration of socio-economic infrastructure."
Ashkhabad announced the initiatives on optimal solution of the Afghan problem at UN General Assembly sessions.
First initiative relates to the strengthening of the confidence measures, the development of effective government institutions in Afghanistan, the resolution of the situation in the country by "extremely diplomatic, negotiating techniques and creation of a national consensus and reconciliation atmosphere in Afghanistan."
Ashgabat has declared readiness to provide its political space for a high-level international meeting under the UN coordination, and for intra-Afghan talks on the situation in Afghanistan.
The second initiative concerns the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Important agreements on TAPI construction were signed in Ashgabat, on December 2010.
Turkmenistan also improves the infrastructure of power lines that will allow a 5-fold increase in electricity exports to neighboring Afghanistan.
In addition, the two countries signed a framework agreement to build a railway line Atamyrat-Ymamnazar (Turkmenistan) - Akin - Andhoy (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan).
It is planned to build the Atamyrat Ymamnazar-Akin area, as part of the first phase of this line, in the frame of the project implementation.
The Turkmen side will provide financing, design, and construction of the first phase. The laying of the Akin-Andhoy part is considered as a second phase.