Turkmenistan is a country with centuries-old history, friendly and hospitable people, splendid mineral resources. Independence in Turkmenistan was pronounced on 27 October 1991.

Following the independence, Turkmenistan managed to create an economic foundation with a developed fuel and energy, processing, textile, construction agricultural, transportation and communication sectors. The country is gradually implementing reforms in the field of medicine, education, social and spiritual spheres.

As a founding principle of its foreign policy, the country has selected constant neutrality. At the core of the state’s foreign policy doctrine lies, first of all, the aspiration for mutually beneficial and equal righted cooperation with foreign partners, Jahon wrote.

Uzbek and Turkmen nations have been tied by strong bound of friendship and good neighbourly relations based on the commonness of mentalities, language, culture, history, traditions, and customs for centuries. A common feature of Uzbek and Turkmen etiquette is hospitality, respect to the elderly, modesty. Both nations have always highly appraised moral qualities, such as sincerity, honesty, carefulness about the feelings of friendship and love, showing hospitality.

Diplomatic relations between the two states were established on 7 January 1993.

The basis for the development of multi-sided relations between the countries was laid during the top-level summits (including two visits to Uzbekistan – in 1996 and 2004 and two to Turkmenistan – 1996 and 2000).

A new stage in the development of bilateral cooperation was entered on 9 June 2007 in Saint Petersburg, when within the frame of informal summit of CIS states, the Presidents of the two countries held bilateral meeting. They shared opinions on the issues concerning the development of mutually beneficial bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation.

The main documents regulating the fundamental principles of relations between the two countries are the Agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual support between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Turkmenistan signed in February 1996, and the Agreement on peace, strengthening of trust, and development of cooperation of 19 November 2004. Trade relations between the two countries are regulated by the Intergovernmental Agreement on the main areas of long-term trade and economic cooperation signed on 16 January 1996. In order to develop mutually-beneficial cooperation, the same year the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic cooperation of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was established.

Despite the fact that according to the results of the first eight months of 2007 the total volume of bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan increased only by 64.3% to US$50.8 million, the available potential is by far not implemented.

Uzbek export now mainly consists of the products of flour-milling industry, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, transportation and communication sector, ferrous metallurgy, services, as well as fertilizers, tobacco, seeds and fruit and nut production. Import from Turkmenistan includes plastic goods, services, mineral resources, etc.

Uzbekistan now has three enterprises founded in partnership with Turkmen entrepreneurs and investors, of them two are 100% foreign companies. Turkmenistan has four Uzbek-Turkmen joint ventures.

An important factor in the development of bilateral relations is humanitarian cooperation. At this time Uzbekistan has six Turkmen cultural regional centres and one republican cultural centre. There are 50 schools that teach Turkmen language, including 13 in which all subjects are taught in Turkmen.

Since 1 January 2005 Yoshlar Television and Radio Channel has been broadcasting programmes in Turkmen language. Moreover, there is also a publication – a weekly newspaper Mekan – which is also published in Turkmen.

In April this year artistic groups from Uzbekistan participated in the international festival of "National Folklore and Theatrical Art" in the city of Ashgabat. In May-June this year, this city also hosted an exhibition of Uzbek artists’ paintings titled "Fine arts of Uzbekistan – the epoch of independence".

In August, artistic ensembles from Turkmenistan participated in the international musical festival "Shark Taronalari" held in Samarkand.

The upcoming state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to Turkmenistan will undoubtedly become a new important impulse for further intensification of multilateral Uzbek-Turkmen cooperation, expansion and strengthening of friendly ties between the two nations.