Few hours later the President’s plane landed at the Zagreb International Airport. Tomislav Jakic, Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of the Republic of Croatia and other official persons heartily greeted the Turkmen leader at the Airport on behalf and the instruction of Croatia’s leadership.

From the Zagreb International Airport the President’s cortege headed for the official residence at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb in the heart of the Croatian capital.

This visit of the President of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Croatia added a new chapter to the history of the interstate relations and was paid against the background of the notably intensified Turkmen-Croatian dialogue that testified to the partners’ readiness for full-scale cooperation meeting mutual interests.

In the morning the Turkmen leader arrived in the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia where the official greeting ceremony took place.

Upon concluding the official ceremony the Presidents entered the building situated in the very heart of the picturesque shady park. After having the photo taken the Croatian leader invited the President of Turkmenistan to enter the study room and hold the top level bilateral talks.

Cordially greeting the honorary guest in the Croatian capital Stjepan Mesic thanked Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for accepting the invitation to visit Croatia where the top level talks were viewed as a landmark in the history of the interstate relations. The Croatian leader noted that he had the warm recollections of his visit to Ashgabat last summer and two previous meetings with the Prudent of Turkmenistan in New York and Bucharest. Emphasizing that he was very glad to receive his counterpart in Zagreb Stjepan Mesic expressed belief that these talks would be a critical step to expand Turkmen-Croatian cooperation and make it more effective and specific.

Expressing gratitude for the heartfelt welcome Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that he was glad to have an opportunity to visit Croatia and discuss the prospects for mutually advantageous partnership during a personal meeting with its leader. Focusing with satisfaction on the increased dynamics of the Turkmen-Croatian relations the President of Turkmenistan highly appreciated the potential of bilateral partnership and reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s invariable readiness for further intensification.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on a wide spectrum of the issues of Turkmen-Croatian cooperation. The sides discussed the progress in implementing the agreements reached in Ashgabat last year and specified the key trends in business partnership built on a long-term basis. These included energy sector, industry, transport, communication telecommunications and construction. The sides put emphasis on collaboration in tourism industry based on Croatia’s profound experience and Turkmenistan’s plans on establishment of Avaza national tourism zone. Touching upon the aspects of humanitarian cooperation the leaders of the two countries called for establishing close cultural, scientific and academic contacts.

The sides discussed the international political issues of mutual interest.

Then the members of the government delegation of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Croatia joined in the talks.

Heartily and cordially greeting the honorary guest and the members of the Turkmen delegation Stjepan Mesic noted that the top level talks had focused on a number of the important issues which became a logical continuation of the dialogue initiated in Ashgabat. Then the Croatian leader gave the floor to the President of Turkmenistan

Thanking the Croatian counterpart for inviting to pay an official visit to the friendly country and the heartfelt welcome extended in Croatia and the favourable conditions for the work of the Turkmen delegation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that this visit as being held against the background of the notably intensified dialogue between Turkmenistan and the European countries.

Noting that this meeting was the fourth one between the leaders of the two states the Turkmen leader expressed belief that it would open up new opportunities to further bring two countries and peoples together.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov defined close cooperation in the framework of the authoritative international organisations, in particular the United Nations and OSCE, as an essential aspect of the Turkmen-Croatian political dialogue. The Turkmen leader said that in this context to continue the regular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries that created good incentive to exchange views on urgent problems and challenges of the modern world and international relationships in general and identify the specific trends in bilateral relations was deemed quite appropriate.

Highly appreciating the agreements reached during the meeting with Stjepan Mesic and the constructive atmosphere of the Turkmen-Croatian talks the President of Turkmenistan said with satisfaction that the countries’ views on the major trends in world politics coincided or were very close, in particular they related to concerted efforts to achieve global peace, stability and security.

Touching upon trade and economic partnership Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that its current level did not satisfy the potential of the two countries. Reaffirming Turkmenistan’s readiness to establish mutually advantageous business contacts on a long-term basis the Turkmen leader focused on the priority trends in development of the national economy with the profound resource potential.

The president noted that Croatia’s experience and achievements in the sphere of high technologies especially in such sectors as shipbuilding, machine building, chemical, textile, woodworking, power, electronic and pharmaceutical industries were of great demand in Turkmenistan.

Thus, the vast opportunities for collaboration were provided in power industry – one of the leading sectors of Croatian economy that manufactured high technology electrical equipment. Turkmenistan rapidly developed power industry and exported electric power to the neighbouring countries.

Touching upon the opportunities of cooperation in transport and communication sector Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited Croatian partners to collaborate in the large-scale projects of international importance including construction of the Turkmen section of North-South transcontinental railway and technology modernization of Turkmenbashi seaport. The Turkmen leader said that implementation of these projects would allow significantly increasing freight traffic from Asia to Europe. Oil production and refinement, petrochemical, and food industries and agricultural had a profound potential for cooperation

Calling for overall intensification of trade and economic partnership the president of Turkmenistan focused on the relevance of establishment of the Turkmen-Croatian intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that cooperation in tourism industry was deemed very promising. Noting that Croatia which was famous for its wonderful resorts worldwide had achieved the impressive results in tourism business and Turkmenistan attached primary importance to development of tourism infrastructure on a basis of the existing potential and conditions the President invited the Croatian companies to contribute to development of tourism business in Turkmenistan, in particular Avaza national tourism zone on the Caspian Sea coast.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov characterized humanitarian cooperation as an essential aspect of the Turkmen-Croatian relations noting that agreements on cooperation in the spheres of culture, education and science would lay the firm foundation. Focusing on the need to intensify scientific and academic contacts Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed the Turkmen partners’ readiness to establish direct contacts with the research and educational centres in Zagreb and other cities of Croatia.

In conclusion the Turkmen leader focused on Turkmenistan’s steadfast willingness to enhance and intensify the ties of friendship and cooperation with the Republic of Croatia. The Turkmen leader expressed wishes of every success in the very important work at the highest post to President Stjepan Mesic and peace, wellbeing and happiness to the Croatian people.

Expressing gratitude to the honorary guest for delivering the substantial speech the Croatian leader emphasized that the personal acquaintance with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov helped him to discover Turkmenistan that he had known very little about befoe. Stjepan Mesic said that during the visit to Ashgabat he had been impressed with the high pace of development of the Turkmen capital and country as well as the fact that the living standards in Turkmenistan were very close to the European ones. The President of Croatia noted that it was talked of the society with the very high level of tolerance, the society united by the Turkmen leader’s idea of the effective implementation of Turkmenistan’s versatile profound potential.

Stjepan Mesic said that Turkmenistan’s achievements today had changed the worldwide perception of the country and its people. Through the Turkmen leader’s efforts the conditions conducive to establishing wide contacts between Turkmenistan and other countries were created. The representation of the Turkmen delegation in Zagreb testified to an urge to establish a businesslike, fruitful dialogue.

The leader of the friendly country said that both Turkmenistan and Croatia had something to offer each other. Moreover, the sides admitted their views and attitudes towards many issues of international politics to coincide or be very close. Touching upon the priorities of economic cooperation Stjepan Mesic shared Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s viewpoint that these included the fuel and energy sector, agriculture, food industry, machine building and transport. In particular, Croatia may offer locomotives and diesel locomotive which could replenish the fleet of railway transport of Turkmenistan. Noting that textile industry was deemed a very promising field of collaboration the Croatian leader highly appreciated the quality of Turkmen textiles.

Stjepan Mesic noted that to ensure successful implementation of the potential of partnership the partners should liberalize the visa procedures to facilitate business and humanitarian contacts and actively promote cooperation.

The President of Croatia emphasized that the geographical location could hamper intensification of fruitful contacts in no way. As the interstate dialogue was developed the distance between two countries would be shortened. Stjepan Mesic said that thus there was no obstacle for Turkmenistan and Croatia to become close partners.

Supporting the Croatian leader’s proposal on liberalization of the visa procedures Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that it was one of the major aims of the visit and informed that the Chairman of the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan had arrived in Zagreb as a member of the Turkmen official delegation, who would hold the talks with the Croatian counterparts.

Thanking Stjepan Mesic for inviting to visit Croatia Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that it was a very interesting country. “The more we can see and learn here the more we will take with us in Turkmenistan and heavier the baggage of our cooperation will be,” the Turkmen leader said.

Upon concluding the talks which proved the reciprocal readiness for full-scale cooperation the ceremony of signing the bilateral documents was held in the Ceremonial Hall of the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia.

To the applause of those present President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesic put their signatures to the Joint Communique.

The Protocol on Cooperation between the Institute of Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia was signed.

Then the leaders of Turkmenistan and Croatia gave the brief press conference.

Addressing the conference Stjepan Mesic expressed satisfaction with the high dynamics of the Turkmen-Croatian relations that was evidenced by the fact that the President of Turkmenistan was visiting the Republic of Croatia a year after the Croatian leader’s visit to Ashgabat. Highly appreciating the businesslike and constructive atmosphere of the talks in Zagreb the Croatian leader emphasized that these talks were a convincing and fruitful continuation of the meeting in the Turkmen capital.

Stjepan Mesic said that by intensifying the political, economic and humanitarian dialogue Turkmenistan and Croatia had laid the reliable foundation for further development of Turkmen-Croatian partnership with the profound potential. In this context the partners had set the tasks to steadily strengthen the legal framework of the interstate relations and would carry out the large-scale important work to fulfill them.

Stjepan Mesic noted that during the talks the leaders of the two countries had informed each other of the current situation in their regions and emphasized that Croatia’s foreign policy strategy was not limited to the European component. The leader of the friendly country said that the Republic of Croatia was highly interested in establishing close relations with Turkmenistan which played the key role in Central Asia – the region of exceptional importance on the geopolitical map of the planet.

Stjepan Mesic said that the talks had completed but there were many topics left to discuss and the conversation initiated today would be continued. In conclusion the Croatian leader expressed belief that the visit of the President of Turkmenistan would create powerful incentives to enhance bilateral cooperation first in economic sector and of course humanitarian sphere – culture, tourism and sport.

Addressing the press conference the President of Turkmenistan highly appreciated the constructive atmosphere of the bilateral talks which had specified the trends in further cooperation. Noting that the partners had paid attention to such aspect as enhancement of global peace, stability and security Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that both Turkmenistan and Croatia had the similar and close views on many issues of the international life. The Turkmen leader said emphasized that this was an essential factor of promotion of fruitful Turkmen-Croatian partnership on the world arena and informed that the partners had agreed to continue to actively collaborate in the multilateral format, in particular in the framework of the United Nations.

Touching upon trade and economic cooperation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the vast opportunities existed and Turkmenistan and Croatia stood ready to effectively implement the existing potential. Mentioning the fuel and energy sector, telecommunications and construction industry as the priorities of partnership the President of Turkmenistan focused on the opportunities of cooperation in tourism industry based on Croatia’s profound experience that was of intense interest to Turkmenistan. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov aid that h had invited the Croatian companies to consider the opportunities of collaboration in the Avaza National project on creation of the national tourism zone on the Caspian Sea coast.

Touching upon humanitarian cooperation as an important aspect of the interstate relations the Turkmen leader said that the partners had agreed to promote establishing close contacts in the spheres of education, science and culture.

In conclusion Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmenistan and the Republic of Croatia built their political strategies on the principles of friendliness, equality and non-interference with the internal affairs of other states and the talks in Zagreb had proved the reciprocal adherence to these fundamental principles. The Turkmen leader said that the partners stood ready to continue to develop the effective dialogue and cooperate in the urgent regional and international political issues to achieve the progress, wellbeing and stability across the world.

In conclusion Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Stjepan Mesic for the constructive talks, which had been held in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and confidence, and expresses the best wishes to the friendly people of Croatia.