BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 29. The Consul of Turkmenistan in Russia's Astrakhan region Nury Golliev met with the Minister of External Relations of the Astrakhan region Vladimir Golovkov, Trend reports citing Turkmenportal.
During the meeting, the sides discussed the issues of increasing trade volumes, the organization of regular shipping lines between the Olya and Turkmenbashi ports, cooperation in the field of shipbuilding, including, among other things, training of specialists for enterprises of Turkmenistan, as well as the prospects of opening air links between Astrakhan and the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi.
According to the minister, the increase in mutual trade turnover will contribute to the opening of the logistics center of Turkmenistan in the Astrakhan port special economic zone.
He stressed that an intergovernmental Russian-Turkmen commission on economic cooperation will be held in Moscow in December this year. The Russian side is ready to discuss together with representatives of Turkmenistan the possibility of signing documents that would contribute to the development of trade and economic relations.
In turn, Golliev said that at the first "Central Asia — Russia" summit recently held in Astana (Kazakhstan), President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of cooperation with the Astrakhan region.
He noted that the president considers it necessary to focus efforts on activating the work of the North—South Transport Corridor and said that Turkmenistan, as a country that provides the shortest route to the Persian Gulf, to the ports of Iran and from there to India, is ready to start implementing this project.