"NATO is going to continue building up its relations with Turkmenistan with respect and taking due account of its neutral status," the NATO secretary general's special representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, said at a meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat on May 12.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed issues related to cooperation within the format of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, as well as pressing problems related to strengthening stability in the region, the Turkmen State News Agency (TDH) reports. They also discussed the potential of effective interaction in such spheres as preventing emergencies and natural disasters, as well as eliminating their consequences.

"Turkmenistan, which persistently espouses the policy of positive neutrality, would take the most active part in international efforts, including the strategic partnership within the UN, to ensure peace and prosperity on Afghan soil," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.