The Federation Council Speaker met with Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan to discuss cooperation opportunities.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko had a meeting with Speaker of Turkmenistan’s Mejlis, Dünýägözel Gulmanowa.
In her remarks, the Federation Council Speaker talked about the special importance of Dünýägözel Gulmanowa’s visit to Moscow. “This is your first official visit to Russia as Speaker of Turkmenistan’s Mejlis. I believe that it will serve as an additional impetus for stepping up not only interparliamentary cooperation, but also mutually beneficial bilateral relations in general,” she pointed out.
Valentina Matvienko stressed that the leaders of the two countries have been setting the tone in the way Russia and Turkmenistan work together, and define the substance of these relations. “Presidents Vladimir Putin and Serdar Berdimuhamedov met recently in Dushanbe as part of the CIS Heads of State Council meeting and the Russia – Central Asia Summit. There are plans to hold several other important bilateral meetings before the end of the year. All this is a testament to our close cooperation and the shared interest in strengthening and expanding our cooperation,” the Federation Council Speaker noted.
Valentina Matvienko went on to draw the attention to the fact that this interparliamentary cooperation has been benefiting from the attention and support on behalf of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Leader of the Turkmen People.
Valentina Matvienko posited that cooperation between the legislative chambers of the two countries has been a major aspect of bilateral relations. “The fact that we have been constantly perfecting our cooperation mechanisms has a lot of importance,” she added.
Dünýägözel Gulmanowa took the floor to describe relations between Russia and Turkmenistan as a strategic cooperation. “It is thanks to the efforts by the heads of state that our two counties have been stepping up their cooperation at various levels and in various formats. Our two countries have been effectively working together in bilateral and multilateral settings, including within major international organisations,” she said.
The Speaker of Turkmenistan’s Mejlis praised Valentina Matvienko for her contribution to promoting interparliamentary ties.
The two speakers also discussed the cooperation group established by the Federation Council and Turkmenistan’s Mejlis with the Russian Speaker suggesting to hold the first joint meeting and drafting a roadmap listing specific plans and initiatives.
Valentina Matvienko also said that members of parliament were ready to facilitate efforts by the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, while the regions of the two countries can play a key role in expanding bilateral ties. “The Republic of Tatarstan, the Astrakhan Region, and St Petersburg are all proactive in working with Turkmenistan and are ready to step up their effective cooperation. There are also other regions eager to work with your country too,” the Federation Council Speaker pointed out.
The 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War had a special place on the meeting’s agenda. “People in both Turkmenistan and Russia cherish the memory of the courage and heroism of their forefathers, take care of the veterans and homefront workers. The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic made a major contribution to the Victory over Nazism, helping our people forge closer bonds of friendship that lies at the very core of present-day cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan,” the Federation Council Speaker said, before thanking the President of Turkmenistan for taking part in Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on the 9th of May.
Valentina Matvienko and Dünýägözel Gulmanowa noted the importance of the Memory Train cultural and educational project. “Turkmenistan joined this initiative for the first time this year. The trip became an unforgettable experience for its young participants offering them a wealth of positive emotions, new experiences and helping them develop strong friendships,” the Federation Council Speaker pointed out.
Educational and cultural cooperation, as well as efforts to preserve the Russian language also came up during the meeting.
Valentina Matvienko praised Turkmenistan for supporting the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and invited her parliamentary delegation to take part in its off-site meeting in Dushanbe, as well as in the Commonwealth of Fashion International Forum in St Petersburg.
Participants in the conversation included Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Inna Svyatenko, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Lilia Gumerova, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on the Rules of Procedure and Parliamentary Governance Vyacheslav Timchenko, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Vladimir Dzhabarov, and Member of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Natalia Kuvshinova.
The meeting also included the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Federation Council and the Mejlis of Turkmenistan. Valentina Matvienko described the document as creating new opportunities and setting the tone for enhancing and expanding interparliamentary ties.
In particular, this agreement provides for delegation exchanges, and creates a framework for enabling the committees and secretariats of the two chambers to work together. “The two parties shall hold consultations on the most important international and regional matters with the view to promoting cooperation in Central Asia and across the Eurasian space,” the document reads.