ABU DHABI: The standing relations between the UAE and Turkmenistan are unique, in particular at the level of the leaderships of the two countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed today.
"Relations between the two countries significantly grew over recent years and paved the way to strategic relations and partnerships with the Turkmen government and created new opportunities for growth of investments in energy, tourism and trade in particular," Sheikh Abdullah said in a speech at the first meeting of the Joint UAE-Turkmen Committee today in presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, Rasit Meredow. Trade between the UAE and Turkmenistan reached US$1 billion in 2012 and this exchange is the prelude to bigger investments between the two countries, Sheikh Abdullah noted. Civil aviation plays a vital role in the growth of tourism, trade and investment as the number of weekly flights between the two countries went up to 9, according to Sheikh Abdullah. The UAE and Turkmenistan signed a number of agreements including a protocol on cooperation on oil, gas and mineral resources in 2006 as well as two agreements on double taxation and protection and encouraging investments, he further noted. Sheikh Abdullah thanked the Turkmen President for conferring the Watan Order (Turkmen for Motherland Order) on the UAE's ambassador in recognition of his efforts to promote relations between the two countries. He also thanked the Turkmen government for the facilities it provides to the Embassy in Ashgabat and to other UAE's institutions. For his part, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, Rasit Meredow said the meeting of the Joint UAE-Turkmen Committee was an opportunity for rapprochement and for discussing the significance of cooperation between the public and private sectors of the two countries. The meeting today was concluded by signing on the minutes of the meeting by the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, Rasit Meredow.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2012.
