President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov participates in video-summit of Council of Turkic-Speaking States

At the request of President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ilham Aliyev, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov participated in the Summit of the Turkic Council held in a format of videoconference.

The summit agenda focused on the efforts of the Turkic Council member-states to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking during the summit, the President of Turkmenistan expressed gratitude to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev for the initiative to organize the meeting.

The Turkmen leader noted that the forum provided a good opportunity to discuss critical issues of global agenda.

“It is obvious that today mankind has faced a new, extremely serious challenge that has spread around the planet, affecting the life of many states and peoples. In this regard, it is necessary to exchange views, develop coordinated steps to successfully counter this threat.

“I believe that in the current difficult conditions, we should demonstrate the best qualities inherent in our peoples - humanism, mutual support, solidarity. Today, we have to take special responsibility, deliberateness and foresight when making certain decisions”, the Turkmen leader said, emphasizing the importance of taking joint efforts to achieve good results.

According to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, from the advent of COVID-19, Turkmenistan, as a responsible member of the international community, has established close active contacts with the United Nations, its specialized bodies and agencies, and above all, with the World Health Organization.

As soon as reasonably possible, our country has taken the comprehensive set of measures to prevent the spread of a new type of infection - COVID-19. The Turkmen leader noted that the border, migration and customs regimes were reinforced in the country, emphasizing that objective restrictions were imposed on Turkmenistan’s air traffic with foreign countries.

The entire healthcare system in the country was quickly mobilized to counter the new threat. Everything necessary is purchased for healthcare institutions, and today they are fully equipped with the most advanced equipment, personal protection equipment, test systems, medical supplies and other means.

“Currently, a clear system of sanitary and phytosanitary control and veterinary supervision operates in the country, the teams of specialists from the Ministry of Health Care and Medical Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and environmental protection, as well as the relevant state bodies of Turkmenistan work at all checkpoints across the state border”, said President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Their main task is to ensure the high level of sanitation and hygiene, disinfection, sanification of territories and other areas.

The Turkmen leader emphasized that awareness-building was the most important element in the fight against coronavirus. “As a result of timely measures, the sanitary and epidemiological situation in Turkmenistan is stable and is under strict control”, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated. Our main priority is to guarantee the safety of life and health, and the state will take every effort to ensure this.

Speaking during the forum, the President emphasized that, understanding the seriousness of the situation, Turkmenistan, however, believed that in the current conditions it was necessary to ensure the stable trade and economic relations, transport links between the states.

“In close cooperation with our partners, primarily with neighboring states, Turkmenistan carries out the work to ensure that these relations are regular, in order to maintain reliable schemes of mutual deliveries and transit traffic”.

In this context, it was noted that due to the coordinated efforts of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the ferry service across the Caspian Sea between the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku continued to operate, which is the most important transport artery providing freight flows in the vast geo-economic space.

“The most important aspect of the effectiveness of joint efforts is the establishment of close cooperation in healthcare sphere”, said the President of Turkmenistan, underlining that in the current difficult conditions, share of experience and knowledge in the fight against coronavirus, development of new methods of treatment and prevention of dangerous infectious diseases, and the creation of modern medicinal drug, the introduction of new technologies are of particular importance.

In this regard, it was suggested to consider such form of cooperation as the organization of teleconference bridges, videoconferences, other types of remote communication on a bilateral and multilateral basis with the involvement of representatives of the medical community, as well as other structures and departments related to countering the new threat and overcoming the crisis.

“Our main goal is to protect the health and life of people”, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized, expressing belief that humane treatment and wide support provided to those citizens who, due to the circumstances, remain outside their homeland, are of great importance.

Expressing sincere gratitude to the heads of state for their concern for the citizens of Turkmenistan, who currently stay in their countries, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in his turn, assured the colleagues that the citizens of their countries, who stay on the territory of our state, would be treated with special attention.

In conclusion, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed confidence that our countries would overcome difficulties and strengthen cooperation during this tough period.