Uzbek president to visit Turkmenistan
By Kamila Aliyeva
Ashgabat and Tashkent are preparing for the upcoming official visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Turkmenistan.
The preparations for the visit were the key topic of a meeting between Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Uzbek Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan, Elyor Ganiev in Ashgabat.
The sides reviewed a package of bilateral documents due to be signed in the course of the visit. The date of the visit has not been yet defined.
“The two sides expressed satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation and stressed the need for further intensification of mutually beneficial partnership based on the principles of mutual respect and trust,” the Turkmen government reported.
The two ministers also discussed the regional issues and ways to enhance cooperation within international organizations.
One of the strategic directions of partnership between the two countries is the sphere of energy. Turkmenistan supplies natural gas to China through Uzbekistan since 2009.
The two countries are discussing the project of creation a transport route Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman at this stage.
The new transport corridor will run from Uzbekistan across Turkmenistan and then to the Gulf via Iran, bypassing Afghanistan. The establishment of railway road communication from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to southern ports of Iran is expected to help create important transport network among the countries of Persian and Oman Gulfs and all Central Asian states.
The joint Uzbek-Turkmen Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation operates since 1996.
In 2015, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to about $320 million, in January-August of 2016 - $177 million.
Uzbekistan exports fertilizers, construction materials, fruits and vegetables, electrical and mechanical equipment, vehicles, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, services to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan supplies oil products, propylene polymers, sulfuric acid to Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, 7 enterprises operate with the participation of the Turkmen side. In Turkmenistan, there are 6 enterprises with participation of residents of Uzbekistan.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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