President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to visit Turkmenistan in the third decade of August to participate in the opening of a gas turbine power plant being built by the Japanese company Sumitomo Corporation. The invitation came during a telephone conversation between the President of Turkmenistan and the Prime Minister of Japan on Thursday.

 The Turkmen leader said that the construction of a gas turbine power plant with the participation of the Japanese company Sumitomo Corporation had entered the final stage in the Lebap region.

 As the President emphasized, that facility, being an important link in the national energy system, would give a significant impetus to the increase of the country's electric power capacity and will become another example of successful Turkmen-Japanese cooperation.

 The head of Turkmenistan expressed confidence that Yoshihide Suga's visit would open up new opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation and serve to expand mutually beneficial partnership.

Discussed the current state and prospects for the development of interstate relations, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Yoshihide Suga confirmed their readiness to intensify trade and economic partnership, which had acquired a strategic, sustainable and long-term character.

 The Turkmen leader said that the necessary support would be provided to the activities of Japanese companies and financial institutions in the country.

 The oil and gas sector, electricity, transport and communications, as well as such areas as water management and the textile industry were named as strategic directions of the partnership.