Turkmenistan officials discuss security

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, June 5 (UPI) -- Top Turkmenistan officials have promised to intensify security efforts in the country and work with the region to promote stability.

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, among other officials, promised to increase cooperation efforts to further issues of border security and other security reforms. Berdymukhamedov and Meredov met with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe chairman, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Thursday in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to open a dialogue to promote regional stability and enhance engagement with Afghanistan, the OSCE reported.

"In my meetings I was encouraged to hear about Turkmenistan's recent efforts to reform its legislation," Stubb said in a statement.

"The OSCE and Turkmenistan are already cooperating on a number of important joint activities, and I believe we can work together to further support the much-needed reform process in all dimensions of security, particularly with respect to human rights, democracy and rule of law, as well as to promote an independent civil society."