Poroshenko wins Turkmen backing for Ukrainian sovereignty

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held talks with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan Thursday as he pressed a diplomatic drive for recognition of Ukraine's territorial integrity in a region dominated by arch-rival Russia.

 Poroshenko's visit to Turkmen capital Ashgabat follows a visit to Kazakhstan earlier this month as Kiev seeks to strengthen ties with the region following 18 months of pro-Russian separatist violence in eastern Ukraine.

 "We are grateful for the principled position of Turkmenistan's support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine," said Poroshenko at a meeting where the pair affirmed support for international norms on the inviolability of borders and non-intervention.

 Berdymukhamedov, who noted Ukraine's investment of almost $3.5 billion (3.2 billion euros) to date in the isolated Central Asian country, said his gas-rich ex-Soviet nation also stood ready to increase fuel exports to Kiev, but did not provide details.

 The pair signed 10 bilateral documents covering cooperation in industry, agriculture, tourism and education.

 Officially neutral Turkmenistan is the only country in Central Asia that is not a member of any Moscow-backed regional organisations.

 Despite the region's generally pro-Moscow political orientation, none of the five states in the ex-Soviet region which gained independence in 1991 have formally recognised Crimea as part of Russia following the Kremlin's annexation of the peninsula last year.