President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov will pay an official visit to Russia this week, during which he will hold talks with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.  This is reported by Russian news agencies.

 This will be the first talks between Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Vladimir Putin in the status of leaders of two friendly countries.

 “The new President of Turkmenistan will pay an official visit to Russia for the first time… Russia has large-scale cooperation with the republic, which both countries intend to develop further,” the Rossiya 1 TV channel also reported on Sunday.

 On May 18 this year, Vladimir Putin signed a Decree on awarding Serdar Berdimuhamedov with the Order of Friendship.  As noted in the Presidential Decree, the Turkmen leader was awarded this award «for his great contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan».

 During a telephone conversation in April this year, Vladimir Putin invited the newly elected President of Turkmenistan to pay a visit to Russia.

 This will be the second foreign visit of Serdar Berdimuhamedov after his election in March this year as the President of Turkmenistan.  Last week, the head of our state paid a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, during which he performed the rite of Umra Hajj (small pilgrimage) to Mecca and Medina, the main shrines of Islam.