President Serzh Sargsyan attends opening of 5th Asian Games in Turkmenistan

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is paying a working visit to Turkmenistan, attended the official opening ceremony for the 5th Asian Games in capital Ashgabat this evening. Prior to the ceremony, the President of the Republic met with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

President Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to his Armenian counterpart for accepting the invitation and arriving in Ashgabat. Serzh Sargsyan expressed the hope that the well-organized Asian Games will be a success, consonant with the motto of the games.

The President of Turkmenistan stressed the role of sport and the Olympic movement in the strengthening interstate relations and friendship between peoples, as well as in terms of achieving mutual understanding. In President Berdymukhamedov’s opinion, this will help the UN successfully implement the universal strategy of sustainable development.

The leaders of the two countries discussed issues related to Armenian-Turkmen relations and the development of cooperation in various sectors, including energy and transport. In this context, they touched upon the implementation of the agreements reached at a high level during the latest meeting held in Yerevan.

After the meeting, together with heads of delegations of other countries, President Serzh Sargsyan was hosted at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, where a reception was organized on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan.

The official opening ceremony of the 5th Asian Games took place at the Olympic Stadium in Ashgabat. Over 1,000 athletes from sixty-five countries will be competing in twenty-one sporting events. The 5th Asian Games are held under the motto of “Health, Inspiration and Friendship.”