Medvedev hails talks with Turkmen counterpart

ASHGABAT, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
hailed on Friday talks with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly
Berdymukhammedov.

"We had a frank and friendly conversation," the Russian leader said
after the talks. "This has already become a good tradition in our dialogue with the Turkmen leadership," Medvedev stressed.

"We discussed prospects for trade and economic relations. Trade is
growing at a good pace," he reported. "The development of production
cooperation is on the agenda. A number of biggest Russian companies have
already got a strong foothold on the Turkmen market. Gazprom, ITERA,
KAMAZ, Stroitransgaz, Trubnaya Metallurgicheskaya Kompaniya are among
them," he added.

According to the Russian president, the two countries "have vast
prospects for new joint projects". "Major progress has been reached" in
the humanitarian sphere. A memorandum was signed on cooperation between
the culture ministries of the two countries. The two countries have also
signed an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of education, the Russian
president noted.