The prospects for creating a logistics center of Turkmenistan, opening shipping lines between the ports of Turkmenbashi and Olya, increasing trade volumes, cooperation in the field of shipbuilding and other issues of developing further cooperation were discussed by the Consul of Turkmenistan in Astrakhan Nury Golliev during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan Region of the Russian Federation Vladimir Golovkov. This is reported by the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan region.

Vladimir Golovkov expressed confidence that friendly relations between the Astrakhan region and Turkmenistan would develop. He told Nury Golliev in detail about the joint work on the implementation of projects.

“It is based on the Agreement concluded in 2008 between the Government of the Astrakhan region and the Government of Turkmenistan on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. We are also actively developing ties at the inter-municipal level”, said the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan Region.

In June 2022, within the framework of the first official visit of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Russia, an Agreement on Cooperation was signed between the Government of the Astrakhan Region and the hyakimlik of the Balkan velayat and an Agreement on the establishment of twinning relations between Astrakhan and Turkmenbashi.

According to the minister, the opening of a logistics center of Turkmenistan in the Astrakhan port special economic zone will contribute to the increase in mutual trade.

“In December of this year, an intergovernmental Russian-Turkmen commission on economic cooperation will be held in Moscow. At it, we are ready, together with representatives of your country, to discuss the possibility of signing documents that would contribute to the development of our trade and economic relations”, said Vladimir Golovkov.

During the meeting, issues of organizing regular shipping lines between the ports of Olya and Turkmenbashi, cooperation in the field of shipbuilding, including, among other things, training and retraining of specialists for shipbuilding enterprises of Turkmenistan, were discussed. The conversation also touched upon the prospects for the opening of air communication between Astrakhan and Turkmenbashi, the implementation of joint projects in the fields of education, culture, and tourism.

“At the recently held first “Central Asia-Russia” summit in Astana, the President of our country, esteemed Serdar Berdimuhamedov, noted that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of cooperation with the Astrakhan region. He considers it necessary to focus efforts on intensifying the work of the “North-South” transport corridor and stated that Turkmenistan, as a country through whose territory the shortest route to the Persian Gulf, to the ports of Iran and from there to India, is ready to start implementing this project” - said the Consul of Turkmenistan Nury Golliev.

The new Consul of Turkmenistan announced plans to hold meetings with government ministers, heads of leading enterprises and universities of the Astrakhan region in order to get acquainted with the life of the region.