Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree on March 20 approving the basic directions of neutral Turkmenistan's foreign policy strategy for 2008-2012. The document aims at defending the country's national interests in the international arena, further strengthening Turkmenistan's positions and raising its role in international relations, the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat quoting the press service of the head of state.

Meeting Turkmenistan's diplomatic corps on the same day, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the year of 2007 witnessed an increase in Turkmenistan's foreign policy activities "that are closely followed by the international community." The head of state noted that one of the priorities of the national foreign policy strategy was development of partnership relations with neighboring states "who have long-standing economic ties and common history and culture."

"In this context, we attach great importance to further expanding the cooperation with Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and other neighbors, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. At the same time, Turkmenistan is set to build up fruitful and traditionally friendly contacts with Russia, China, US, and European Union member-states as well as establish productive relations with other countries in Asia, North and South America, Africa."

Among the most important directions of the foreign policy course the president named the adherence to diversification of Turkmen energy resources supplies to the world markets, cooperation in humanitarian sphere and implementation of large-scale projects such as the transnational transport-communication corridor North-South and national tourist zone Avaza.

The head of state assigned the ministry of foreign affairs, heads of Turkmen embassies and consulates abroad as well as Turkmenistan missions to international organizations with a task of the efficient implementation of objectives set in the aforementioned strategy.