Dear conference participants!

I sincerely congratulate you on the Caspian Sea Day, celebrated annually on August 12 at a high level, and the beginning of the scientific and practical conference "Caspian Sea: Partnership for Sustainable Development"!

Turkmenistan regularly puts forward strategically significant initiatives to expand trade, economic, social and cultural ties in the Caspian region. They receive broad support from the Caspian states. At the same time, we are taking large-scale programmatic steps to transform the Caspian into a zone of peace, trust and environmental well-being.

The first Caspian Summit was held in Ashgabat in 2002 at the initiative of Turkmenistan. This significant event largely predetermined the now solid foundation for cooperation between the Caspian states in all areas, and also gave a significant impetus to resolving many issues necessary for coordinated regional interaction.

At the same time, the first Caspian Summit played an exceptional role in the subsequent development of a number of multilateral documents on the Caspian, in particular, the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.

At the suggestion of Turkmenistan, the first Caspian Economic Forum was held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone on August 12, 2019. The forum itself, the purpose of which is to expand trade and economic ties for the development of the Caspian states through the optimal use of their transport and transit potential, revealed new areas of comprehensive economic partnership, taking into account the interests of each.

The sixth Caspian Summit, held in Ashgabat in 2022, marked a new step in maintaining constructive cooperation between the Caspian states and identified key tasks for the protection of the ecology of the sea.

Guided by the policy of positive neutrality, Turkmenistan is consistently making efforts to turn the Caspian into a sea of ​​peace, trust and friendship. Our country is committed to building up close contacts between the Caspian states in energy, transport and logistics, industry and trade.

The current area of ​​interaction that the Caspian states are focused on is the protection of the marine environment and the maintenance of environmental well-being, which together form an amazing biocenosis that is sensitive to the impact of negative phenomena, including climate change.

In this regard, Turkmenistan calls on the countries of the region and interested international structures to continue joint research to preserve the rich ecosystem and biological diversity of the Caspian. We have also put forward the "Caspian Environmental Initiative", which will provide an opportunity for substantive and professional interaction on a wide range of issues in the Caspian region. We are convinced that its implementation will consolidate efforts to maintain environmental well-being and significantly coordinate targeted measures in the future.

Dear participants of the conference!

Dear guests!

The forum, cultural and sports events dedicated to the Caspian Sea Day will serve to further strengthen peace, friendship, brotherhood and trust in the region.

Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on the Caspian Sea Day!

I wish you good health, long life, prosperity and great success in your work!

President of Turkmenistan

Serdar Berdimuhamedov.