Russian and Turkmen vice-premiers meet in Ashgabat

ASHGABAT, August 12 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian First Deputy Prime Minister
Viktor Zubkov and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan
Rashid Meredov will discuss issues of expanding trade and economic,
scientific and technical, and cultural cooperation on Friday. They met at
one of the fashionable hotels on the shore of the Caspian Sea - - on the
territory of the resort Avaza within the framework of the work of the
Russian-Turkmen intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.
The Russian representative delegation includes leaders of the
Ministries of Energy, Economic Development, Transport, as well as the
military-technical departments.
Priority directions of Turkmen-Russian partnership were named during a
meeting of President Burbanguly Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan with the
Russia deputy prime minister. This is, first of all, the gas sphere where
Russia remains to be the biggest purchaser of Turkmen gas. Interested
partnership is developing in the field of agriculture and transport,
education and science.
According to the Turkmen Ministry of Economy, at present, Russia is
the second trade partner of Turkmenistan according to the volumes of
export and ranks third in the volumes of import of local goods. More than
100 offices of Russian companies working in the sphere of trade and
industry are registered in the country. Russia's Gazprom and OAO KAMAZ
occupy firm positions in the Turkmen market. Supplies of trucks from
Tatarstan over the period from 2006 have exceeded 5,000 units. Refining of
hydrocarbons is the most perspective direction of the Turkmen-Russian
scientific partnership. At present, some 20 bilateral scientific and
technical projects are being implemented.