Putin hosts Turkmenistan's new president amid Western isolation

MOSCOW, June 10 (AFP): The new president of authoritarian Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, on Friday called for stronger ties with "strategic" partner Moscow during a Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting came as Putin seeks new markets and hopes to strengthen ties with countries in Africa and Asia as the West pummels Moscow with unprecedented sanctions over the intervention in Ukraine.

This was the first visit abroad as president for 40-year-old Berdymukhamedov, who was elected as leader of the gas-rich Central Asian country in March after his father, Gurbanguly Berdy-mukhamedov, stepped down.

Ex-Soviet Turkmenistan tolerates no political opposition or free press. "Our bilateral ties are on the rise," Berdymukhamedov said following talks with Putin, singling out in particular their "equality and openness".