Petersburg, Turkmenistan have huge cooperation potential - governor

ASHGABAT, July 5 (Itar-Tass) -- St. Petersburg and Turkmenistan have huge potential of cooperation, St. Petersburg Governor Valentina
Matviyenko told reporters on Thursday while arriving in Ashgabat.

She arrived in the capital of Turkmenistan on the eve of Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev's official two-day visit to that Central Asian country.

Apart from Governor Matviyenko, the Russian delegation members are
heads of other Russian regions, including Tatar President Mintimer
Shaimiyev and Governor of the Astrakhan Region Alexander Zhilkin.

"Constituents of the Russian Federation, including St. Petersburg,
have sufficiently high rate of independence in the development of their
economic contacts with foreign countries," Matviyenko said.

"With this in mind, contacts with regions play an important role in
the interstate relations," she added.

In Matviyenko's words, Ashgabat and St. Petersburg have already built up "relations of special importance."

"Turkmenistan supplies food and cotton fibre to St. Petersburg," the
governor said.
During President Medvedev's visit, the sides will discuss the detailed
plans of cooperation, in which St. Petersburg is ready to take an active
part, Matviyenko said.
In 2004, St. Petersburg was the first Russian region, which
established direct contacts with Turkmenistan.
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