Turkmen president calls for stepping up relations with Russia.

20/10 Tass 94

ASHGABAD, October 20 (Itar-Tass) - Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly
Berdymukhamedov called for stepping up Turkmen-Russian relations, in order
to raise them "to an entirely new level", which meets the modern reality
and opportunities for mutually advantageous and productive cooperation.
Berdymukhamedov said so at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, ahead of
the working visit to the country by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The Turkmen leader noted "considerable prospects for partnership in
the trade-economic sphere and the oil and gas sector which is strategic
for both states." At the same time, he underlined "the significance of
further strengthening of humanitarian ties in education, science, culture,
tourism and sports, as well as in other fields, which meet the interests
of the ever-friendly peoples of Turkmenistan and Russia.
Medvedev is due to visit Turkmenistan on October 21-22. He last
visited Turkmenistan on December 22, 2009, when the two countries resolved
the issue of the resumption of the supplies of Turkmen natural gas after
nine-months talks about its price and volumes. Turkmenistan supplied to
Russia 7.8 billion cubic meters of gas in the first nine months of 2010.
In all, Turkmenistan has to supply 11.5 billion cubic meters of gas to
Russia this year.
-0-myz/gor