ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for an early finalization of the Transit Trade Agreement with Turkmenistan to further boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
He said that the deal, once signed, would help expand trade, strengthen regional connectivity as well as enhance economic activities in the region.
The President expressed these views while talking to the Turkmenistan ambassador to Pakistan Atadjan Movlamov, who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The envoy congratulated him on assuming the office of the President for the second time.
During the meeting, both sides expressed the desire for the early completion of the TAPI Gas Pipeline, which would not only support the economy of Pakistan but would also help meet its energy needs.
Welcoming the envoy, President Zardari said that Pakistan attached special value to its bilateral ties with Turkmenistan due to the centuries-old historical, cultural, and religious links and wished to increase high-level exchanges to give fresh impetus to bilateral relations.
He expressed Islamabad’s desire to work with Turkmenistan to further enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.
The President underlined that the existing volume of trade between the two nations needed to be improved for the mutual benefit of both sides.
President Recalls His Visit to Turkmenistan
The President fondly recalled his trip to Turkmenistan during his first tenure as the head of state in 2010 to participate in the TAPI Summit as well as the fourth International Nauroze Festival in 2013.
The envoy conveyed the warm greetings of the Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to President Zardari on his election.
He said that the Transit Trade Agreement was not only important for both friendly nations but also for the region as it would generate huge transit trade activities.
