Preparations for the upcoming VI Summit of the heads of the Caspian states in the capital of Turkmenistan on June 29 were discussed at a government meeting last Friday.

 Reporting on the preparations for the summit, Vice-Chairman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov presented the program of the upcoming event for consideration by the President of the country Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

 The agenda of the Ashgabat summit will include a set of important issues related to the further development of interstate cooperation in its priority areas.  A number of bilateral meetings are also planned within the framework of the forum.

 The meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian states, which will be held on June 28, will be devoted to preparations for the Summit.

 President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that the development of friendly relations with neighboring countries is one of the key vectors of Turkmenistan's foreign policy, built on the principles of neutrality, peacefulness and broad fruitful cooperation.

 Approving the presented program and emphasizing the importance of the upcoming summit, the head of state noted that Turkmenistan is making a significant contribution to resolving priority issues in the Caspian Sea.

 “Our country consistently stands for the diversification of trade and economic ties between the coastal states, the effective implementation of the huge resource, transport, transit, energy and industrial potential that the Caspian region has,” the head of state said.

 The President also added that, at the same time, great importance is attached to humanitarian and cultural cooperation, as well as contacts in such an important area as ecology and environmental protection, the preservation of the biodiversity of the ancient Khazar, and the rational use of its natural resources.

 The Turkmen side puts forward specific initiatives aimed at optimizing the mutually beneficial partnership between the Caspian states, forming an appropriate legal framework, as well as enhancing cooperation with authoritative international organizations, the President continued.

 “Turkmenistan will continue to do everything possible to strengthen fraternal and good-neighborly ties between our countries, whose peoples are united by centuries-old historical and cultural ties, to strengthen the status of the Caspian Sea as a sea of ​​peace, friendship and cooperation,” Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.

 The head of state instructed the Vice-Chairman, head of the Foreign Ministry to ensure a high organizational level of the Ashgabat summit.