India is a close and important partner for Turkmenistan, said President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at a virtual India-Central Asia virtual summit on Thursday. The Turkmen leader said that the current meeting was aimed at bringing the relations between Central Asia and India to new heights, which have huge human, industrial, natural, and technological potential.

Ensuring strong security, maintaining peace and a balance of interests are in line with the strategic goals of our countries, Berdymukhamedov said. The Turkmen leader supported the initiative of the regular Dialogue at the level of the Security Advisers and the idea of the Central Asia-India Parliamentary Forum, advocating for the establishment of the Secretariat of the Summit, which is being held for the first time today.

Promoting a new philosophy of international dialogue "Dialogue - Guaranteeing Peace", Turkmenistan calls for the unification of all responsible and healthy forces in the global political arena.

In the economic plan of cooperation, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov allocated energy and transport. The Central Asian countries, known for their rich natural resources, are able to work hard today to build a power bridge "Central Asia - India", said the Turkmen leader. Turkmenistan is already implementing a project of geo-economic and geopolitical significance - the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.

In the field of transport, the head of state noted the importance of establishing Eurasian transport corridors across Central Asia to maritime terminals in the Indian Ocean. The role of the transport corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-Qatar was emphasized.

In the fight against pandemics, Berdymukhamedov proposed the creation of the Central Asia-India Medical Association, one of the main goals of which could be to fight infectious diseases.