Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that he considers it a priority to increase trade between Russia and Turkmenistan, and promised that the Russian government would look for opportunities to expand trade and economic cooperation with Ashgabat, TASS reports.
"I consider it most important to increase our trade and economic cooperation, trade turnover. It is now about a billion dollars, this does not correspond to the potential of our countries, and, of course, in all areas we will look for new areas [for cooperation]," Mishustin said on Friday during face-to-face talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
Mishustin conveyed "the warmest, sincere words" from President Vladimir Putin to the head of Turkmenistan, recalling that the heads of the two states recently discussed issues on the bilateral agenda during a telephone conversation.
Mishustin also noted that this is his first visit to Turkmenistan as head of the Russian government. The Prime Minister of Russia added that now Russia and Turkmenistan are already actively cooperating in such areas as mechanical engineering, energy, oil and gas, agriculture, and the digital economy.
According to Mishustin, Russian business has a great interest in cooperation with Turkmen partners. Mishustin stressed that the idea of creating a Russian-Turkmenistan business forum received a great response in Russia. He said that more than 400 Russian entrepreneurs, who have been actively working with their Turkmen colleagues for the second day, have come to the first business forum in Ashgabat.
Mishustin at the talks in an expanded format said that earlier, during a tête-à-tête with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, he discussed in detail the entire agenda of bilateral relations and directions of development. "Turning to the negotiations in an expanded format, I would like to emphasize that relations between Russia and Turkmenistan are based on the principles of friendship, good neighborliness and, of course, mutual respect. We have, you absolutely said, a solid contractual and legal framework based on about 320 documents" Mishustin said, recalling that a number of new documents were signed on Friday.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
January 20, 2023