Relations with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region occupy a special place among the priorities of the peaceful foreign policy and diplomacy pursued under the wise leadership of our esteemed President Arkadagly Serdar, implemented at the state initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people. One of Turkmenistan's friendly partner countries is the Republic of India. Our country is united by centuries-old relations based on the principles of goodwill and equal cooperation. These relations truly have their roots deep in history, dating back to the time of the Great Silk Road. The principles of goodwill, mutual respect, and equal cooperation between these two peoples are today being enriched with new meaning and content. Currently, these relations are actively developing not only in the cultural and humanitarian spheres, but also in the strategic and economic spheres. One of the most striking examples of this is the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project. This megaproject is of historic significance for ensuring the region's energy security and strengthening peace. Turkmenistan possesses enormous potential and strategic interests in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Turkmenistan's abundant natural resources and India's advanced technological expertise foster effective cooperation in these areas. Our country is rich in natural resources and hydrocarbons and is a regional leader in the production of mineral fertilizers and other chemical products. India is one of the largest consumers of these products. Regarding mineral fertilizer exports, it should be noted that urea, potash fertilizers, and phosphorus-containing products produced in our country are of great importance to Indian agriculture. The countries are implementing agreements to ensure stable supplies of these products. In terms of healthcare and pharmaceutical production, India is one of the world's leading countries in pharmaceutical production capacity and is often referred to as the "pharmacy of the world." Joint pharmaceutical production between Turkmenistan and India is not only a new project but also a long-standing, proven, and currently being improved strategic direction. A successful example of joint pharmaceutical production between the two countries is the pharmaceutical company Turkmenderman Ajanta Pharma Limited, founded in Ashgabat in 1998. This enterprise, created in technological collaboration with the world-renowned Indian company Ajanta Pharma Ltd., currently supplies a significant portion of the local pharmaceutical market. The enterprise produces over 80 high-quality medications, including tablets, capsules, ointments, and various syrups, in accordance with international standards. Furthermore, the new medical cluster in the city of Arkadag is also worth mentioning. Overall, this cooperation has now taken on a new, more intensive form: Indian pharmaceutical companies are expressing interest in actively participating in production projects at the new medical cluster being created in Arkadag, and plans are underway to jointly establish enterprises to produce medicines based on medicinal plants native to Turkmenistan, such as licorice root, buyan, and others, using Indian technologies. Since 2015, the Center for Yoga and Traditional Indian Medicine has been operating in the country, where Indian masters conduct hatha yoga classes.
Within the framework of Turkmen-Indian cooperation, significant attention is paid to expanding bilateral cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, developing direct contacts between Turkmen and Indian higher education institutions based on memorandums and agreements on relevant programs, and enhancing their potential in relevant areas. In this context, during the first week of the current academic year, a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Turkmenistan was held at the Academy of Civil Service under the President of Turkmenistan. The meeting discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation in education and science, as well as the goals and objectives of cooperation in the mutual exchange of experience in training civil servants. The purpose of the meeting was to further enhance the professional level and qualifications of civil servants and specialists, the quality of education provided to them, study positive international practices, disseminate accumulated experience in public administration, familiarize participants with work being carried out in this area abroad, and promote close cooperation with similar educational and research centers abroad. Since the development of effective cooperation is one of the priorities of the state’s foreign policy, the successes achieved to date are clear evidence of the effectiveness of this far-sighted strategy.