Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 23 / Trend H. Hasanov /
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych discussed a number of international issues of mutual interest during a telephone conversation, the Turkmen government said on Tuesday.
According to the report the call was initiated by the Ukrainian side.
During the conversation, the President of Ukraine invited the Turkmen leader to visit Ukraine at any convenient time.
'During the conversation the two leaders discussed in detail the progress of the bilateral agreements reached at the summit talks', a statement said.
As noted, Turkmenistan and Ukraine are united in their desire to fully support the positive development of global processes and in particular, the establishment of broad international cooperation and the strengthening of the foundations of a lasting peace, stability and global security.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych paid an official visit to Turkmenistan in February this year when he confirmed his interest in the resumption of Turkmen gas supplies.
It was noted during the negotiations that the two countries are well placed to join together to study alternative routes of gas supplies for their own needs and exports to Europe.
Kiev believes Turkmen gas may reach the Ukrainian market not through re-export, but directly and on more favourable terms. The Central Asia-Centre (CAC) gas pipeline, passing through the territory of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and capable of carrying gas to Ukraine, was monopolised by the Russian company Gazprom following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Kiev tries to convince Russia that the agreement on the CIS free trade zone has a clause that provides for equal access to the gas transmission capacities of the CIS countries.