On 24th of April, 2018 in the morning the motorcade of the President of Turkmenistan proceeded to the International Airport of Islam Karimov, from where the Turkmen leader flew to Urgench, the administrative center of the Khorezm region.
At the airport of Urgench, decorated with the national flags of the two countries, the Turkmen leader was warmly received by the President of Uzbekistan. In Turkmen and Uzbek languages, verses were performed by the children. The Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan photographed with them for memory.
Then the joint motorcade of the Presidents of the two countries went to the "Turkmanlar mahallasi" district of the city of Urgench, where the Turkmen diaspora resides, to participate in the opening ceremony of the House of Turkmen-Uzbek Friendship.
Before that, the heads of the two states laid flowers at the monument to the great Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy.
At the ceremonial entrance of the House of Turkmen-Uzbek Friendship erected in the Turkmenlar Mahallasi district the Leaders of the two states were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan K. Akilov and invited to enter the building.
Presidents Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the collection of literature in the library, whose collection consists of books on the history and the present of the two neighboring countries, as well as the scientific works of the Turkmen leader.
Then President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the historical site - the fortress "Uly howly".
The history of the Turkmen fortress with eight-meter adobe walls a meter and a half wide has more than three centuries. Today, thanks to the efforts of restorers and historians, the fortress has become one of the tourist centers of the Urgench district. Guests of "Uly howly" can ride horses, see how flour is made in a mill, taste various national dishes. In this tourist complex are also held national games, wrestling kurash and performances by artists.
Heads of states were welcomed by the chairman of the Turkmen-Uzbek Friendship Society of the Khorezm region D. Rajabov, local elders and children who read poetry in Turkmen and Uzbek languages.
In the courtyard, ancient traditions and rituals, folk dances and songs were performed by the folklore collective of the House of Turkmen-Uzbek Friendship revived in all their richness and diversity.
After completing their acquaintance with the "Uly howly" fortress, Presidents Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev thanked the audience for the well-organized excursion and together left for Khiva, located on the left bank of the Amu Darya in the southern part of the Khorezm region.
This unique city-museum in 1967 was given the status of a reserve, and in 1990 the area of Khiva - Ichan-Kala declared UNESCO a historical monument of world significance.
The heads of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan visited the historical complex "Ichan-Kala", where the traditional image and style of the eastern city is preserved. The complex includes about 60 buildings: the citadel of Kunya-Ark, the palace of Tash-Hauli, the famous Juma mosque with its 213 carved columns, the Khiva symbol-the minaret of Islam-Khoja and much more.
During a walk in the historic district, which is always a lot of tourists, the Turkmen leader expressed the idea of a joint Turkmen-Uzbek film that could be shot in this place, because the peoples oif the two countries have many common pages in a rich biography.
The heads of states visited the Shirgazi madrassah, where famous poets and scholars of the East received education. Here also the classic of Turkmen poetry Magtymguly Pyragi, who has such lines as "I had a book here, was opened gold. I'm sorry, I'm leaving, beautiful Shirgazi".
Two leaders were presented with old books, including Turkmen poets: Magtymguly, Kemine, Seidi, Zelili, and others. This is only a small part of a huge layer of Turkmen culture, which has survived here and is waiting for its researchers.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the relevant leaders of the Turkmen delegation to study this issue and organize activities to study the priceless sources available in Ichan Qala and who can tell a lot about the history of the Turkmen people.
In the afternoon, the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan arrived at the Velayat Musical and Dramatic Theater, where a concert of art masters of the two countries was held.
At the end of the concert, Presidents Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Shavkat Mirziyoyev proceeded to Urgench International Airport.
Expressing deep satisfaction with the results of the summit talks, the leaders of the two countries reaffirmed the constant mutual intention of the sides to develop full-scale cooperation on a mutually beneficial and equal basis. The Turkmen leader thanked his Uzbek colleague for the warm hospitality he had shown in the Uzbek land, warmly said goodbye to him and flew back to his homeland.
