On 23 January, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received the first deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation, Andrey Denisov, who arrived in Ashgabat on a working visit. The extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Russian Federation in Turkmenistan, Igor Blatov, also attended the meeting.

"Turkmenistan attaches special importance to strengthening Turkmen-Russian relations as one of strategic priorities of its foreign policy," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. He noted the high level of interstate cooperation.

Speaking about prospects for the expansion of bilateral cooperation the sides stressed the importance of the Turkmen president''s forthcoming official visit to Moscow scheduled for March this year. The preparations for the visit are well under way.

"Russia views this visit not only as a landmark in the history of bilateral relations but also as an event of regional and international significance," A.Denisov noted.