Putin hosts Turkmenistan’s new president amid Western isolation

Issued on: 10/06/2022 – 16:36Modified: 10/06/2022 – 16:34

The assembly got here as Putin seeks new markets and hopes to strengthen ties with international locations in Africa and Asia because the West pummels Moscow with unprecedented sanctions over the intervention in Ukraine.

This was the primary go to overseas as president for 40-year-old Berdymukhamedov, who was elected as chief of the gas-rich Central Asian nation in March after his father, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, stepped down.

Ex-Soviet Turkmenistan tolerates no political opposition or free press.

“Our bilateral ties are on the rise,” Berdymukhamedov mentioned following talks with Putin, singling out specifically their “equality and openness”.

“Our international locations have enough potential to strengthen mutual commerce and funding,” he mentioned.

He additionally mentioned he was “satisfied that this assembly will give important impulse to the strategic partnership” between Moscow and Ashgabat.

Putin, who greeted the Turkmen president with an embrace, praised their “substantial talks which passed off in a business-like, pleasant environment”.

He mentioned that “explicit consideration” was given to vitality cooperation in the course of the talks.

Putin awarded Berdymukhamedov the Order of Friendship, considered one of Russia’s highest state honours.

The 2 leaders additionally signed a declaration on strengthening ties between Turkmenistan and Russia at a time of rising isolation for Moscow after its army intervention in Ukraine.

Berdymukhamedov, who has benefited from a meteoric profession rise lately, received a snap election in March, beating token rival candidates.

His father, 64, mentioned in February that he was calling time on a 15-year reign — which started after the sudden loss of life of Turkmenistan’s founding chief Saparmurat Niyazov — to permit “youthful leaders” to control.

© 2022 AFP