ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Feb. 19
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged views over telephone on priority issues of interstate relations, built on the principles of strategic partnership, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Dovlat Habarlary (TDH) state news agency.
The commitment of Turkmenistan and Russia to full-scale cooperation on a long-term basis is clearly demonstrated by the agreement reached at the highest level and the established solid legal base.
At the same time, the presence of impressive potential for further enhancing and diversifying the trade and economic partnership and increasing the volume of mutual trade turnover, which grew 2.6 times in 2019, stimulating investment activity, and entering new mutually beneficial projects, was noted.
A significant role in this is assigned to the joint intergovernmental commission and regular business contacts.
President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to his Turkmen counterpart for his active attention to enhancing regional ties that meet mutual interests, TDH said.
One of the topics of discussion was the practical implementation of the agreements reached within the framework of the chairmanship of Turkmenistan in the Commonwealth Independent States (CIS) in 2019, and the documents adopted during this period, including the Declaration on Strategic Economic Cooperation.
About 190 companies with Russian capital operate in Turkmenistan. After a three-year hiatus, Russian Gazprom resumed purchases of Turkmen gas in 2019. On the basis of a signed production sharing agreement in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian, ARETI Holding (formerly ITERA) has been operating since 2009.
In addition, Russia and Turkmenistan initiate further cooperation in the Caspian. In particular, it is planned to launch a cargo line that will connect Makhachkala, the capital of Russia’s Dagestan Republic, with the port of Turkmenbashi.
The priority vectors of interaction are the fuel and energy complex, shipbuilding, automotive industry, shipping in the Caspian Sea, agriculture, including the supply of food products to the Russian market.
In recent years, Turkmenistan has been actively establishing business relations with the Russia’s Tatarstan as well as with Sverdlovsk and Astrakhan regions and the St. Petersburg city.