nCa Report
The national leader of Turkmenistan and the chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty, Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (ArkadagGB) led a large delegation of his country at the third Belt and Road Summit (BRF-2023) in Beijing. He was accompanied by his spouse, Mrs. Ogulgerek Berdimuhamedova
Speech of ArkadagGB at BRF-2023
Arkadag Berdimuhamedov made a speech at the forum. Here is its unofficial, slightly paraphrased translation. Some passages have been highlighted editorially:
Dear heads and members of delegations!
First of all, let me express my gratitude to the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, respected Xi Jinping, for the initiative to convene the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, its excellent organization, cordiality and hospitality.
Holding this meeting is a highly relevant and in demand event. Recent realities – a pandemic, increasing instability, decreasing trust and predictability – have negatively affected global economic activity, led to problems in interconnectedness, and reduced the degree of effectiveness of the implementation of plans and programs in the field of sustainable development.
To overcome these negative factors, it is necessary to unite the efforts of states and international institutions, their solidarity in establishing a creative and constructive agenda based on goodwill, responsibility and foresight.
From this point of view, the content of the Turkmen strategy “Revival of the Great Silk Road” corresponds to Turkmenistan’s ideas about the future of the geo-economic landscape of Eurasia, and also corresponds to the content of China’s strategy “One Belt, One Road”, where the main principles are equality, consideration and recognition of the interests of partners, mutual benefit, respect for the diversity of cultural and spiritual values. Important elements of the Turkmen approach are the depoliticization of cooperation, moving away from the one-sidedness of energy and transport flows in favor of their diversification and accessibility to broad international participation.
Relying on the rich historical experience of friendship and good neighborliness between the Turkmen and Chinese peoples, the presence today of objective mutual interests allows Turkmenistan and China to successfully build up their partnership in the context of the implementation of these two strategies, their compatibility and mutual complementarity. Both of them are designed to give a powerful stimulus to economic development in Eurasia, uniting spaces from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans on modern criteria, forming interconnected production and technological cycles and industrial belts, helping to solve many social problems, improve the quality of life and well-being of peoples.
A striking example of this approach is the Turkmen-Chinese energy partnership.
The commissioning of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China in 2009 marked the beginning of the formation of a new architecture of relations in the energy sector on the continent and opened up prospects for other states to join the project on a mutually beneficial and equal basis.
The same logic is followed by the implementation of another major international project – the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.
Today we are working to expand the geography and volume of international supplies of Turkmen natural gas and electricity. Power transmission and fiber-optic communication lines have been laid from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are a number of other major projects on the cooperation agenda in these segments.
Another important area is transport. Currently, our country, together with its partners, is creating an extensive network of transport and logistics infrastructure of a combined type along the East-West and North-South lines.
In the future, it will include transit corridors leading to the regions of the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea basin, and the Baltic. This seems especially relevant in connection with the implementation in Turkmenistan of large national projects in the transport and communication spheres, and the creation of new port infrastructure on the Caspian Sea.
In particular, we are talking about a transport corridor from China through the territory of Central Asia to the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea, as well as to Iran, the Near and Middle East.
This corridor can also be used in the opposite direction – to the Asia-Pacific region and the countries of South Asia.
Our efforts are aimed at fully unlocking the potential of transcontinental transportation by all modes of transport, including railways, roads, air travel, and the creation of logistics terminals at hubs, one of which could be the international seaport of Turkmenbashi. We are ready to provide its capacity for use in the interests of partners.
Coordinated transport diplomacy aimed at consolidating common efforts in improving the efficiency of international corridors and logistics systems is becoming increasingly relevant.
It must be said that Turkmenistan, being one of the initiators of the global dialogue in the field of sustainable transport, has been taking consistent practical steps in this direction for many years.
The persistent, purposeful work of Turkmenistan was marked by the adoption by the General Assembly of six resolutions in the field of transport initiated by our country in recent years alone.
And, here I would like to emphasize: Turkmenistan’s transport strategy keeps pace with modern trends and the objective needs of the world economy. And therefore, I am convinced, it meets the interests of the majority of states interested in creating an effective, stable and fair system in this key area.
One of the priority tasks of international cooperation of Turkmenistan is to achieve a reasonable balance between production activities and environmental protection, ensuring environmental safety.
This is the basis of our understanding of the essence and meaning of the “Green Silk Road.”
In this context, we believe that Turkmenistan’s proposal to establish a specialized structure – the Regional Center for Technologies Related to Climate Change – is a logical and timely step.
We are ready to provide all the necessary technical and organizational conditions for the work of the Center in the capital of our country – the city of Ashgabat.
An integral part of Turkmenistan’s environmental strategy is also the reduction and eradication of the negative consequences of carbon dioxide and methane emissions into the atmosphere. We are talking, first of all, about a phased transition to the introduction and use of modern environmentally friendly and resource-saving technologies, especially in the fields of energy, industry and transport.
Our country is also actively pursuing international cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy.
We consider these steps of Turkmenistan an important practical contribution to the creation of “green corridors” of cooperation, including within the framework of the “Revival of the Great Silk Road” and “One Belt, One Road” strategies
Dear participants!
Interconnectedness in the economy, international exchange of technologies, experience, skills and techniques are objective trends in global development. They involve closer cooperation in production, the creation of integrated technological and digital platforms, and joint communication systems.
All this is designed to form a holistic and sustainable logistics of cooperation on a global scale. And not only in the technical sense.
Today, in our opinion, the concept of political logistics is in demand. I see it as a multi-level system of interaction between states that share ideas and prospects for economic development and cooperation, free from politicization and ideological clichés, based on equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.
Dear heads and members of delegations!
I have no doubt that the current representative and authoritative forum, which brings together envoys from dozens of states with enormous potential, is capable of giving the necessary impetus to this process and the achievement of its goals.
Thank you for your attention and wish you successful work!
Welcome ceremony and ‘family’ pictures
As reported earlier, on 17 October 2023, the first day of the visit, Arkadag and his wife went to the Great Hall of the People of China, where the ceremony of official welcoming the distinguished guests took place. A photo ceremony was held here for the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with his wife Ogulgerek Berdimuhamedova and the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping with his wife Peng Liyuan.
Then, in the “Taiwan” conference hall a family photo ceremony was held for the heads of delegations and members of their families.
In the Golden Hall, in honor of the distinguished guests and members of their families, on behalf of the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, an official dinner was given, during which cultural performances by representatives of the People’s Republic of China took place.
Meeting of ArkadagGB with First Deputy Prime Minister of the State Council of China
Arkadag had a meeting on 18 October 2023 with the First Deputy Prime Minister of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Ding Xuexiang.
During the talks the sides noted the closeness or coincidence of views of the two states on current issues on the world agenda, which contributes to the establishment of a trusting dialogue that meets mutual interests.
Among the priority areas of bilateral cooperation were the trade and economic sphere, fuel and energy and transport and communications sectors, industry, agriculture and others.
The parties also discussed issues of developing partnership between the parliaments of the two countries and intensifying cultural and humanitarian interaction.
Turkmenistan-China partnership in education discussed in Beijing
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan Nurmuhammet Amannepesov and Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng held a meeting in Beijing, on the sidelines of the Third International Belt and Road Forum, on Tuesday.
Huai Jinpeng highly appreciated the pragmatic cooperation built by China and Turkmenistan in various areas of the educational sphere in recent years, and also spoke about the latest achievements of the PRC in this area.
The Minister expressed confidence that both sides will jointly launch a new mechanism of multi-level cooperation and create new models and formats of interaction, including within the framework of UNESCO, and will bring the Chinese-Turkmen dialogue in the field of education to a new level.
Amannepesov also stated that Turkmenistan is ready to further strengthen practical partnership with China both in the field of university exchanges, youth policy, training of scientific and engineering talents, and on such a relevant track as digital education, China Education Online reported.
Wife of ArkadagGB visits National Museum of Arts and Crafts of China
The wife of ArkadagGB took part in the cultural events including the visit to the National Museum of Arts and Crafts.
Then the guests of honor, together with Ms. Peng Liyuan, got acquainted with the exhibits presented in the hall called “Dört deňziň joşuşy”.
In the hall a melody was played by the national musical instrument – bianzhong. It is a set of bells of different sizes, which are mounted on wooden frames.
The representatives of foreign delegations listened to an a cappella song performed by the Chinese children’s ethnographic ensemble “Doň”.
The the wife of the President of the People’s Republic of China, Peng Liyuan, invited the first ladies of foreign countries and the spouses of the heads of delegations to jointly watch a performance of the Peking Opera.
Turkmen handicrafts displayed at Museum of Women and Children of China
The wife of ArkadagGB took part in the opening of the exhibition of the Turkmen handicrafts at the Museum of Women and Children of China.
She had a conversation with the Deputy Chairman of the National Committee of the People’s Political Consultative Council of China, Chairman of the All-China Women’s Federation Shen Yueyue.
During the conversation, it was emphasized that Turkmen carpet art is an integral part of the priceless heritage of the Turkmens.
In continuation, the emphasis was placed on the issues of education and development of labor skills among the younger generation.
With the participation of the guest of honor and Mrs. Shen Yueyue, the opening of the National Exhibition dedicated to Turkmen carpets and handicrafts took place, representing in its entirety the types of national decorative and applied arts and creativity, folk crafts and which became clear evidence of the multifaceted creative talent of the Turkmens.
The exhibition consists of three sections: 1 – woolen carpets and carpet weaving, 2 – silk carpets, 3 – keteni – national embroidery and fabrics.
During the event, the granddaughter of Hero-Arkadag skillfully demonstrated the method of weaving alaja to visitors to the exhibition.
Regional analysts meet in Beijing
On the sidelines of the BRF-2023, the regional analysts have gathered in Beijing to discuss the current issues of trade relations of the Asian continent, connections between populations, exchange of think tanks, a clean Silk Road, regional cooperation and maritime interaction.
The director of the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Shiri Shiriyev, and an analyst of the center, Dovletmyrat Mammedov, are representing Turkmenistan.
The forum is taking place 17-26 October 2023. /// nCa, 19 October 2023 [some parts of report taken from Turkmen and Chinese media. Pictures credit Turkmen and Chinese media]
Arkadag, Turkmenistan, BRF 2023,