Stanislav Chepurnoi has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Turkmenistan. The corresponding decision was made by President Alexander Lukashenko, the BelTA news agency reports.
Until now, Stanislav Chepurnoi served as Head of the Department of International Cooperation and Trade of the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.
Belarus and Turkmenistan have a long-standing friendship, and bilateral relations have always been based on the principles of mutual respect and partnership, the newly appointed ambassador said in an interview with journalists.
“To date, our countries have been cooperating quite effectively within the framework of international organizations. Cooperation in education, culture and sports has resumed following a forced pause in the post-pandemic period. There is an intergovernmental commission in science and technology,” the diplomat said.
President Lukashenko emphasized the need to develop trade and economic relations with Turkmenistan. The economies of Turkmenistan and Belarus are mutually complementary in many ways.
According to Chepurnoi, there are a number of areas for cooperation of mutual interest. These are primarily industrial, agricultural, and transport sectors.
The envoy told that the parties are currently agreeing on the dates of the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, during which it is planned to discuss in detail the prospects for the development of cooperation.
In general, the Belarusian side is ready to develop comprehensive cooperation with Turkmenistan and is aimed at a constructive and productive dialogue. The trade amounted to about $30 million last year. In previous years, however, this figure was at least twice as high. The new ambassador is sure that there is also a lot to work on in this area.
There is a direct flight service between the countries. Belavia operates regular flights from Minsk to Turkmenbashi.
“We will also work in this direction, because direct air service is good, but it needs to be made more frequent and regular. This also makes us closer, including in the humanitarian sphere,” the diplomat said.
As for humanitarian cooperation, Belarusian education is traditionally in demand among the citizens of Turkmenistan. Before the pandemic, the number of Turkmen students in Belarusian universities reached 10,000. Currently, around 4,000 Turkmen citizens are studying in Belarusian institutions. “We will work in this direction too,” the Ambassador promised.
Stanislav Chepurnoi will replace Vyacheslav Beskosty, who has held the position of Ambassador to Turkmenistan since October 2019. ///nCa, 2 December 2024