His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received, at the Gudaibiya Palace today, the President of Turkmenistan, HE Serdar Berdimuhamedow, and his accompanying delegation, who are currently on a visit to the kingdom.
Upon arrival of the Turkmen President at the Gudaibiya Palace, an official reception was held in his honour. The national anthems of the two countries were played, and the artillery fired 21 rounds to salute the kingdom’s distinguished guest.
HM King Hamad and Turkmen President held a joint meeting in which they reviewed the solid friendship relations between the two countries, as well as areas of joint cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, cultural and tourism fields. They also discussed the latest regional and global developments of mutual interest.
The President of Turkmenistan expressed thanks and appreciation to HM the King for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to him.
HM King Hamad and President Serdar Berdimuhamedow exchanged gifts on the occasion.
Then, HM the King and the Turkmen President held an expanded talks session, attended by the delegations of the two countries.
HM the King delivered the following speech:
” In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful
Your Excellency, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Turkmenistan,
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of Allah be upon you,
Hello and welcome to the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the occasion of your first visit to it, in response to our invitation stemming from our great interest in the robust historical relations between our two countries, spanning more than a quarter of a century, in addition to our keenness to follow up on the results of our visit to your brotherly country, whose ancient history, bright present and hospitality of its people impressed us. During the visit, we inaugurated a new chapter of our cooperation and rapprochement, and we look forward with you today, to building on the joint plans we had agreed upon, taking into account all that enhances and develops our strategic interests.
It is a good and valuable opportunity to meet you here today, alongside your honorable delegation of senior officials, to start a renewed round of discussions to develop our partnerships in various areas of common interest, taking into account the capabilities available in our two countries, particularly in the investment and trade fields, in addition to the energy, food security, tourism and cultural exchange sector, which will contribute to raising the levels of economic growth in the two countries.
In this regard, we would like to thank the committee responsible for following up on the implementation of our bilateral agreements, which we had ordered to be formed in the Kingdom of Bahrain, to provide everything necessary to develop our brotherly relations based on mutual trust, understanding and respect.
Your Excellency President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, we attach great interest in your historic visit to our country, as we aspire to develop our partnership, coordinate our stances on regional issues, and address current global challenges to contribute to maintaining global security and stability, and by working together to propose peaceful solutions to strengthen friendly relations between nations and peoples. Our guide in that is the civilization of Islam, to which our two countries belong, and which are rooted in the values of tolerance, coexistence, and moderation that we truly value, and we always extend our hand for their sake, for the good and safety of humanity.
On this honourable occasion, we are pleased to confer on Your Excellency the Order of Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa- First Class, to express our great appreciation for your role and the influential contributions of your country in establishing international security and maintaining comprehensive stability in neighbouring countries.
In conclusion, we would like to welcome you once again, dear guests, on the land of Bahrain, whose people share great appreciation and love with you, and wish you a happy here.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.”
Then, HM the King conferred the Order of Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa- First Class, on the Turkmen President in appreciation of his efforts to consolidate joint cooperation between the two countries.
After that, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov delivered the following speech:
“Your Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, my dear brother
I would like first to express my sincere gratitude to Your Majesty for the invitation to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain and for the generous hospitality and warm reception.
I convey to you the greetings of His Excellency, the national leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
I thank you for your constructive efforts to develop relations between the two brotherly countries.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1995, we have come a long way in forming an effective model of cooperation based on friendship, fraternity, equality and mutual respect.
The foundations for this fruitful dialogue were laid in 2019 during Your Majesty’s official visit to Turkmenistan, during which important agreements were reached.
We note the existence of fruitful cooperation in various multilateral forums, particularly in the United Nations Organization, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and a number of other international organizations.
We highly evaluate the constructive position taken by Bahrain with regard to Turkmenistan’s neutrality and its international initiatives on crucial issues in the world.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has regularly supported the projects and resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on energy and transportation issues proposed by Turkmenistan.
In turn, Turkmenistan has firmly supported the constructive proposals by Bahrain.
With regard to trade and economic relations, we want to emphasize the existence of wide potential for the establishment of joint ventures with Bahrain in Turkmenistan’s leading sectors of the economy, such as the fuel and energy complex, the refining industry, construction, freight transportation, and textile production.
As a first step, we invite our Bahraini partners to consider a proposal to hold business and investment forums and exhibitions next year.
We welcome the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in the humanitarian field, the establishment of close cooperation in various areas such as science and education, and the holding of culture days on a regular basis.
Your Majesty,
Turkmenistan appreciates and cherishes the fraternal and friendly relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we believe that this visit will be a strong impetus to explore more of the enormous potential for cooperation for the interests of our peoples and countries.
We invite you once again to pay an official visit to Turkmenistan, and we will welcome you warmly and you will be our honorable guest.
Your Majesty,
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Your Majesty for awarding me the Order of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa – First Class during my first official visit to the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain.
I accept this Order as a clear symbol of respect for Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people committed to the comprehensive development of friendly relations between Turkmenistan and Bahrain.
I reiterate my deep gratitude for awarding me the Order.
I wish you good health and the people of the brotherly Kingdom of Bahrain prosperity, peace and development.”
During their official talks, both leaders also reaffirmed their constant keenness to enhance the distinguished long-standing relations between the two countries, in addition to broadening the areas of joint cooperation, and taking advantage of their expertise and investment opportunities to further strengthen bilateral ties.
They also affirmed their support for all efforts aimed at consolidating regional and global stability, security and peace, as well as promoting the concepts of tolerance, dialogue and coexistence among various peoples.
They also attended the signing of the following agreements and memoranda of understanding between the governments of the two countries:
An agreement on air services. It was signed by Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Minister, Mohammed bin Thamer Al-Kaabi, and Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers, Mammethan Chakyev.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the fields of crafts and traditional industries related to heritage. It was signed by Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al-Noaimi, and the Turkmen Culture Minister, Atagely Shamuradov.
An MoU between the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Institute of International Relations in Turkmenistan. It was signed by the Political Affairs Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Rashid Meredov.
An MoU in maritime transport. It was signed by Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Minister, Mohammed bin Thamer Al-Kaabi, and the head of Türkmendeňizderýaýollary (Turkmen Maritime and River Transport) Agency, Annadurdy Kosayev.
An MoU of cooperation in the field of railways. It was signed by Bahrain’s Transportation and Telecommunications Minister, Mohammed bin Thamer Al-Kaabi, and Head of Turkmendemiryollary” Agency (Turkmen Railways), Azat Atamyradov.
An MoU on cooperation in the field general, technical and higher education. It was signed by Bahrain’s Education Minister, Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, and his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbangul Atayeva.
An MoU on cooperation in the fields of standardization, certification, accreditation and metrology. It was signed by Bahrain’s Industry and Commerce Minister, Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, and Turkmen Minister of Finance and Economy, Serdar Joraev.
An Executive Programme in the field of culture between the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and the Turkmen Culture Ministry (2023-2027). It was signed by Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al-Noaimi, and the Turkmen Culture Minister, Atagely Shamuradov.
Granting the Government of Turkmenistan the official partner status in the Bahrain Global Sea-to-Air Hub. It was signed by Bahrain’s Industry and Commerce Minister, Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro and Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers, Mammethan Chakyev.
HM King Hamad and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov hailed the signing of the agreements and MoUs between the two countries, affirming that they will contribute to further strengthening bilateral relations and broadening joint cooperation at all levels.
HM the King then hosted a lunch banquet in honour of the Turkmen President and the official delegation accompanying him.
A convoy of honour, led by Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Nawaf bin Mohammed Al-Ma’awda, was formed to accompany the Turkmen President.
