OREANDA-NEWS. November 03, 2010. The fifth meeting of the intergovernmental Turkmen-Russian commission for economic cooperation was held in Ashgabat. A high-level delegation led by Viktor Zubkov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation had arrived in the Turkmen capital to participate in this forum.

The meeting took place at the fashionable President Hotel. Meeting participants included the cabinet ministers and specialists of the leading departments of Turkmenistan and the cabinet ministers and businessmen of the friendly country and journalists.

A focus of the meeting was the important vectors of cooperation in the context of the agreements reached by the leaders of the two friendly states during the RF President’s recent visit in Turkmenistan. In particular, these included intensifying trade and economic relations and partnership in the fuel and energy and agricultural sectors, the spheres of education, science and culture.

It was emphasized that in recent years relationships between the two states were developed dynamically. Thus, a series of fruitful visits at the top level to Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation were held. The legal framework of Turkmen-Russian partnership comprises dozens of documents including international, intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements. In his opening remarks the senior official of the RF Government Viktor Zubkov noted that the activity of the intergovernmental commission could be characterized as quite fruitful that had enabled to make significant progress in promoting partnership in a number of important fields including the economic and humanitarian spheres.

It should be noted that partnership is based on the firm foundation of a balance of interests; ongoing projects developed on a pragmatic business basis benefit both countries equally. The countries had created the conditions conducive to deepening business partnership, established the Turkmen-Russian and Russian-Turkmen business council under the chambers of commerce and industry, intensified cooperation in the oil and gas and power industries, launched joint transport infrastructure projects.

The fifth meeting of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation certainly became a new step to intensify fruitful business contacts. The ceremony of signing the bilateral documents aimed at enhancing collaboration in the organisation of a train ferry between the Russian and Turkmen seaports in the Caspian Sea in particular took place in the framework of the meeting. It was noted that the major criterion taken into consideration by the partners when drafting and signing these agreements was a balance of interests and mutually advantageous partnership built on a firm pragmatic basis.

Bilateral cooperation in the education sector, in particular in such important fields as higher education, training of highly qualified specialists for various sectors of Turkmen economy at the leading institutions of higher education in the Russian Federation, was fostered. The illustrative examples of positive partnership include A.S. Turkmen-Russian School in Ashgabat. A visit to this educational establishment was an important event in the programme of the visit of the Russian high-level delegation to Ashgabat.

The delegation led by the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation left Ashgabat on the same day.

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A high-level delegation of the Russian-Turkmen Business Council led by Vice Chairperson of the Board Nina Levshina is on a visit to the Turkmen capital these days. The programme of the visit of the Russian delegation included a number of fruitful meetings.

The members of the Russian-Turkmen Business Council held the meetings at the Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Construction. A working meeting of the Business Councils of the two friendly countries held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan turned into a lively and substantial exchange of views on the current state and prospects for bilateral cooperation and its profound potential.

The representatives of the Russian business circles held the meetings at the Khyakimliks in Ashgabat and Ahal Velayat and the oil and gas departments to discuss the prospects for mutually advantageous partnership and the implementation of a number of important joint projects.

On the final day of the visit the delegation of the Russian-Turkmen Business Council will have the meetings at the agricultural departments of Turkmenistan.