Georgia sees Turkmenistan as a reliable partner in Central Asia, PM Kobakhidze

Georgia views Turkmenistan as a reliable partner and a friendly state in the strategically important Central Asian region, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Friday during a joint briefing with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Kobakhidze said relations between the two countries were built on many years of friendship and mutual respect, providing a solid foundation for expanding bilateral cooperation.

"I am pleased to host the President of Turkmenistan, His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in Georgia," Kobakhidze said. "This is only the second state visit by a Turkmen president to Georgia. The first took place in 2015, when Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited our country."

The prime minister expressed confidence that the visit would give fresh momentum to bilateral ties, noting that the two sides had signed a joint declaration, as well as a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding covering cooperation in various fields.

Kobakhidze said he had held one-on-one talks with President Berdimuhamedov, during which they discussed the main areas of Georgia-Turkmenistan relations, as well as regional and international issues on the current agenda.

"Central Asia is a region of particular interest to Georgia. In this context, we regard Turkmenistan as a reliable partner and a friendly state. The relationship between our countries is based on longstanding friendship and mutual respect, creating a very strong foundation for future cooperation," he said.