On September 19, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the Head of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Muhammad Al Jasser.
Expressing sincere gratitude to the head of state for the time and opportunity to discuss priority cooperation issues, the guest confirmed the IDB's readiness to strengthen long-term cooperation with Turkmenistan, which pursues a constructive policy based on the principles of positive neutrality and implements progressive socio-economic transformations and large-scale infrastructure projects.
Taking the opportunity, Mr. Muhammad Al Jasser warmly congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, on the upcoming holiday – the 33rd anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, extending his best wishes.
Warmly welcoming the IDB president, the head of state expressed confidence that the meetings held during his current visit to Ashgabat would be fruitful, contributing to a constructive exchange of views on the prospects for bilateral partnership.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that expanding international cooperation, particularly with reputable financial institutions and banking structures, plays a significant role in Turkmenistan's economic development strategy. Regarding cooperation with the IDB, it is effective and long-term. This September marks 30 years of Turkmenistan's membership in the Islamic Development Bank. Over this period, the IDB has participated in financing more than 20 important projects in our country in areas such as healthcare, education, transport, communications, and energy.
Continuing the topic, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized that improving the health of the population and increasing life expectancy is one of the priorities of Turkmenistan's state policy. Significant work is being done in the national healthcare system to successfully address the set tasks. In this regard, the role of the IDB in implementing projects for the construction of medical and sanatorium-resort infrastructure facilities was noted. At the same time, there are good opportunities for further investment cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank in this area.
During the exchange of views on key areas of partnership, emphasis was placed on the prospects for cooperation in the energy sector. Turkmenistan, possessing vast natural resources, is consistently committed to developing this sector through diversification. In this context, opportunities for cooperation in the oil and gas sector were considered. The implementation of this important project will contribute to increasing productive economic cooperation not only at the regional but also at the international level.
Comprehensive work is also being carried out in Turkmenistan in the field of clean energy, which does not harm the environment. This creates great opportunities for cooperation with the IDB in implementing projects or new initiatives in the field of sustainable energy in our country.
Among the promising areas of cooperation, the transport sector was also highlighted. It was noted that the advantageous geographical location serves as a solid foundation for the dynamic development of Turkmenistan's transport and logistics infrastructure. In this regard, the interconnectedness of all types of transport is of particular importance. From this point of view, consistent work is being carried out to form multimodal regional and international transport corridors along the North-South and East-West routes.
In this context, the existence of broad opportunities for activating international transportation through the Caspian Sea was noted. There is enormous potential for increasing the capacity of the International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi, which connects Asia and Europe. Turkmenistan is ready to consider specific proposals from the Islamic Development Bank for participation in projects to create transport and transit corridors.
Within the framework of cooperation with the IDB, projects for the development of the Internet and telecommunications system were also highlighted.
In addition, there are broad prospects for strengthening effective contacts between the IDB and the banks and private sector of Turkmenistan. In this regard, it seems advisable to intensify cooperation in the field of financial and credit services and consulting services in the development of small and medium-sized businesses.
At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the Head of the Islamic Development Bank, Muhammad Al Jasser, expressed confidence that mutually beneficial cooperation between Turkmenistan and the IDB would continue to expand, filled with new concrete content.
