Russian, Turkmen leaders pleased with coop development.

13/9 Tass 63

TURKMENBASHI, September 13 (ITAR-TASS) -- Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev and his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov have
pointed to the positive dynamics of the development of bilateral
cooperation.
The Turkmen president said that bilateral cooperation "is showing very
good results." "In 2008 trade turnover between our countries amounted to
seven billion U.S. dollars, while this year, despite the crisis, it
reached five billion U.S. dollars during the first seven months," he said.
President Berdymukhamedov added that more interesting contracts are to
be signed. Specifically, Turkmenistan is going to sign a contract with St.
Petersburg leaders for the building of overpasses, bridges and roads,
whose value will be about 0.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Medvedev supported the Turkmen president, who stressed that the credit
for those good results goes to the intergovernmental commission. "Despite
the crisis, our trade and economic relations are developing very well.
Trade turnover is growing, unlike the situation with other countries,
where the figures are on the decline. This means that the potential of our
cooperation is very high," he said.
The two presidents pointed out during their talks that bilateral
cooperation was developing in the humanitarian sphere too. Specifically, a
Russian-Turkmen school will be opened in Ashgabat later this year. The
Turkmen president invited Medvedev to attend the opening ceremony. "I
accept the invitation with gratitude, wishing that the relations between
our countries continue to be close, friendly and partner-like," Medvedev
said.
-0-rom/kud