On behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan D. Gulmanova accepted credentials from the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Australia to Turkmenistan John William Gearing.

On behalf of the head of state, the head of the national Parliament congratulated the diplomat on his appointment to a responsible post and wished him success in strengthening friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, TDH reports.

Ambassador Gearing expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality in the Turkmen land. He conveyed the best wishes from the Australian leadership to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and stressed that he considers it a great honor to represent his country in an independent, neutral Turkmenistan.

During the conversation, the diplomat was informed about the main directions of Turkmenistan's national state policy, one of the most important aspects of which is the development of broad international cooperation. The guest was also familiarized with the socio-economic and democratic transformations being implemented in the country.

One of the topics of the meeting was the activities of the national Parliament to modernize the legislative and legal framework in the context of ongoing large-scale reforms. The importance of expanding the inter-parliamentary dialogue and bilateral cooperation within the framework of the UN structural units was noted.

During the exchange of views on the priorities of the Turkmen-Australian partnership, the meeting participants noted with satisfaction the existence of great potential for building productive cooperation, among the key vectors of which were trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

The Australian diplomat noted his country's interest in developing business contacts in various areas and assured that he would make every effort to successfully promote the bilateral dialogue.