Kabul (BNA) At the outset, FM Atmar welcomed Meredow and his accompanying delegation to Kabul, describing Turkmenistan as a friendly neighbor and brotherly country.
Calling Kabul-Ashgabat ties as excellent and friendly, FM Atmar said that Merdow’s visit and the new agreements signed between the two sides were steps towards further strengthening bilateral relations, according to a MoFA statement.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that expanding regional connectivity, strengthening trade, transit, political and economic cooperation, and building regional consensus on the Afghan peace process were top priorities of Afghanistan’s foreign policy. He noted that the expansion of ties among regional countries, especially with Turkmenistan, benefited peace and development in the region, the statement added.
Pleased with brotherly relations between Kabul and Ashgabat, The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan thanked FM Atmar for the warm and cordial hospitality of Afghanistan during his visit to Kabul. Turkmenistan’s Meredow stated that Ashgabat was committed to cooperating with Afghanistan in trade, transit, commerce, and regional connectivity and considered the success of the Afghan peace talks vital for achieving those goals. The Turkmen Foreign Minister assured FM Atmar of his country’s firm support for the success of the peace process and the stance of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on regional peace and consensus.
The two foreign ministers, as quoted in the statement, also spoke in detail about the necessary preparations to open three projects to be inaugurated by the two countries’ leaders in the near future.
The meeting was attended by the President’s Chief of Staff Mohammad Shakir Kargar, Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab, Director of Afghanistan Railway Authority Yamma Shams, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Heshmatollah Ghafouri, and Head of Afghanistan Petroleum Authority Seyed Mahbubollah Rabbani. At the end, an agreement and a memorandum of understanding were signed between the two countries as follows:
- Cooperation Agreement between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan for 2021 and 2022.
- Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan Railway Authorities.
