Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, June 29 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The partnership between Russia and Turkmenistan is steadily expanding and entering a qualitatively new level, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his letter to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov.
"I appreciate personal relationships between us. I sincerely look forward for further dialogue with you, as well as discussion of all the relevant issues of cooperation in bilateral and international arenas in a friendly and businesslike atmosphere," the letter addressed on the occasion of the Turkmen leader's birthday says.
President Putin said that such close coordination, especially needed during Turkmenistan's presidency in the CIS, meets interests of our countries and peoples, ensuring peace and stability in Central Asia.
In turn, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote to the Turkmen president that the traditionally friendly relations between the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan take on a new dynamic and are filled with practical matters and new mutually beneficial projects.
Russia and Turkmenistan are major exporters of natural gas in the CIS space. Russia ranked third in Turkmenistan's total trade turnover over three months in 2012, and the trade turnover amounted to $1.235.41 billion.
Strategic direction in the relationship between the two countries is cooperation in fuel and energy complex. Russia received Turkmen gas via the Central Asia - Center (CAC) pipeline through the territory of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Customer is JSC "Gazprom" (Russia), which signed an agreement with Turkmenistan on gas supplies for 25 years in 2003.
At present, the CAC does not operate at full capacity. Russia has reduced gas procurement up to 10 billion cubic meters under the influence of global recession since 2010, which is 4 times less than in 2008. Russian companies are involved in the development of hydrocarbon resources of Turkmenistan. Russian Itera and "Zarubezhneft" work on one of the blocks in the Caspian Sea shelf under the production sharing agreement.
About 180 joint ventures are represented on the local market, Russian companies, including Power Machines, Itera and others are involved in the construction of numerous industrial and social facilities, roads and communications.
As the Turkmen government said on Friday, yesterday Berdimuhammadov received Chairman of the Council of Oil and Gas Producers' Union of Russia Yuri Shafranik.
While discussing the prospects and possible ways to enhance long-term constructive dialogue, "a special emphasis was made on fuel and energy sector, for development of which Turkmenistan and Russia pay paramount attention".