Turkmen president’s visit to Uzbekistan announced
The prospects and main direction of Uzbek-Turkmen cooperation will be determined by Presidents Islam Karimov and Gurbanguli Berdimuhamedov during the upcoming visit of the Turkmen president to Tashkent, a representative of the Uzbek government told Trend on November 18.
According to the Uzbek official, Berdimuhamedov's visit to Uzbekistan has been scheduled for November 24-26, 2013.
The agenda of the high level negotiations includes a large spectrum of issues related to the status and development of friendly bilateral interstate relations.
A representative of the Uzbek government said that transport and communication spheres, agricultural and water industry were indicated as being among the priorities. A special importance is attached to the development of these spheres within bilateral and regional cooperation.
Special attention is expected to be paid to the practical implementation of the project of forming a transit corridor between Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar.
In recent years, traditional friendly relations between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are increasing and are characterized by the growing dynamics of a bilateral partnership.
The previous visit of the Turkmen president to Uzbekistan took place in May 2011. As a result, intergovernmental agreements on the mutual creation of a trade mission, scientific and technological cooperation and a memorandum of understanding between the national libraries of the two countries were signed.
In October 2012, Uzbek President Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Ashgabat during which an economic cooperation agreement was signed between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for 2013-2017.
According to the Uzbek State Statistics Committee, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan amounted to $424.4 million in 2012. Uzbekistan exported some $164.3 million worth of goods to Turkmenistan, while import purchases from Turkmenistan amounted to $260.1 million.
Around seven joint enterprises with the participation of Turkmen capital operate in Uzbekistan and six enterprises created with the participation of Uzbek investors operate in Turkmenistan.