The world mass media highlight the outcomes of the I Caspian Economic Forum

First Caspian Economic Forum raised broad positive response in mass media. Reports of local and foreign press note that the agenda of the forum included wide spectrum of current subjects related to the activation of fruitful cooperation of five coastal states and all interested foreign partners. 

News agencies noted representative level of the Forum, having informed that President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and heads of the governments of the Caspian five – Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Republic Novruz Mamedov, First Vice – president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Eshaq Jahangiri, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev took part in the forum. 

Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov have also taken part in the events. President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov was an honoured guest of the session of the Forum. 

Heads and representatives of competent international organizations and big financial and banking structures including the UN and its leading structures, Commonwealth of Independent States, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Economic Cooperation Organization, International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associations, International Road Transport Union, the World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank and other organizations took part in the work of the forum and its events. 

Members of the Government, heads and specialists of the ministries and profile departments, Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs participated in the forum from Turkmen side. 

Extracts from the speech of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was published by print and electronic media of many states. Numerous mass media cited the words of Turkmen leader: “We often speak that Caspian Sea has to be a sea of peace, friendship and harmony. Believe me, the meaning of these words is not getting lost with time. They will be relevant always”. 

“We would like to see Caspian Sea as a space of cooperation, development and prosperity, free from conflicts and confrontations, a place of unification of the energy of the states, international organizations, business, scientific and technical potential. This is the way we define a strategic perspective calling it as a model of future for Caspian Sea”, - foreign mass media cited the President of Turkmenistan. 

British BBC, London Post, Energy Voice, This is Money and other media noted that as it was expected the discussion of energy potential of Caspian Sea was the main subject of discussion. 

This subject was the main one throughout the Forum. As is known, the Convention on Legal Status of Caspian Sea was adopted in Aktau on August 12, 2018 and divides the water space. Efficient use of the richest reserves of hydrocarbon resources is able to give strong energy impulse to dynamic and qualitative growth of national economy of coastal states as well as neighbouring countries. 

Internet resource Daily Sabah quoted the words of Turkmen leader that energy of Caspian Sea has to be a base for dynamic development of the economy of the region. 

Mass media of Caspian states – Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russian Federation paid special attention to the forum, which is obvious. 

Tehran Times newspaper, Mehr News Agency, Iran Press, IRNA and many other web portals of Iran noted big potential of cooperation in Caspian Sea and importance of Caspian Economic Forum, practical implementation of achieved agreements.

Azeri Trend, AZERTAC, Azernews and other media highlighted the significance of the Forum, in the events of which more than 2,100 representatives of international organizations, foreign business structures, big investment companies and funds as well as developers and suppliers of different equipment and software, which is used in various branch of economy, took part. 

Bilateral meetings at the CEF resulted in signing of more than 60 documents. It also laid the foundation for further negotiations and cooperation with partners from different countries. 

Kazakh Kazinform, Interfax Kazakhstan, Kazakh Times and other media paid great attention to the meeting of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin, which was held under Caspian Economic Forum. It was mentioned at the meeting that trade between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan was 68 million US dollars in the first half of 2019, which is 2.2 times higher than in the same period of the last year. 

The sides highlighted the importance of intensification of cooperation between neighbouring regions and noted big potential for expansion of bilateral cooperation in the spheres of heavy engineering, chemical industry, metallurgy, agriculture, tourism, transport and gas industry. 

Russian mass media like TASS, RIA-News, Vesti, gazeta.ru, MIR – 24 and other were full of the headings about Caspian Economic Forum and perspectives it opens. 

The events in Avaza were broadly highlighted by the press of Astrakhan Region and Tatarstan. Head of this regions of the RF Rustam Minnikhanov and Igor Babushkin took an active part in the work of the Forum. Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev announced at the opening ceremony of the CEF that second Caspian Economic Forum is planned to be held in Astrakhan. 

The comments highlighted that according to Caspian strategy proposed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan aims to cooperate more actively with the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, the World Trade Organization as well as with the Economic Cooperation Organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other. 

Independent experts highly appreciated the orientation of the country to intensification of cooperation under international structures, having informed about signing of the agreements with the UN and UNDP on the fields of Caspian Economic Forum. It was mentioned that Turkmenistan aims to continue active cooperation in Caspian Sea on five-side basis. Initiatives of Turkmenistan have played the main role in sufficient progress in solution of the main Caspian issues in the last few years. Caspian Economic Forum became a significant contribution to strengthening of economic and goodwill relations between Caspian states. 

Bulgarian media like Focus News Agency, Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency and other have also showed keen interest in the Forum. Development of traditionally friendly and beneficial bilateral relations including in oil and gas sphere has been discussed at the meeting of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov. 

Important role of Intergovernmental Commission for economic cooperation, which session was held on the same days in Avaza, has been noted in expansion of productive cooperation and bilateral business contacts. 

Chinese News Agency Xinhua News Agency has also focused on perspective of cooperation in Caspian Sea. Today, China is big foreign partner of Turkmenistan. Relations with this country are built on beneficial and long-term basis and our country will improve the relations with other states of Asian Pacific region in the eastern vector of foreign policy. 

Foreign mass media highlights that Turkmenistan is not limited by regional partnership significantly expanding the geography of cooperation. 

The comments offered to foreign readers noted that taking into account the involvement to the global economic relations, Turkmenistan pays great attention to the partnership with international financial and economic structures including with the World Bank, IMF, EBRD, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and other financial institutes, which representatives have also taken part in the work of the First Caspian Economic Forum.