President of Turkmenistan receives new Head of OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received the newly appointed Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, Ambassador Sergei Belyaev on 18 April 2011.

Belyaev presented a letter from the OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut addressed to President Berdimuhamedov, in which the Secretary General offered his congratulations ahead of Turkmenistan’s twentieth anniversary of independence and expressed his appreciation for the development of successful co-operation between the country and the OSCE..

President Berdimuhamedov and Belyaev noted the increase in joint activities and high-level events, including an international conference on “Strengthening regional co-operation in Central Asia for promoting stable and reliable energy within Eurasia”, held last year.

They also discussed the importance of enhancing joint efforts in the sphere of energy security as well as in other areas such as strengthening border security and promoting human dimension commitments and legislative reforms.

“Since it was established in 1999, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat has been supporting Turkmenistan in implementing its commitments in all three OSCE dimensions,” said Belyaev. “I look forward to intensifying co-operation and dialogue between the OSCE and Turkmenistan in the name of strengthening security and stability and promoting OSCE common values and principles.”

Belyaev also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.