President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for Moscow's contribution to the development of cooperation between the countries that have access to the Caspian Sea.
"Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation will continue close cooperation on the Caspian Sea in both bilateral and multilateral formats. We appreciate Russia's active participation in Caspian Sea summits and its contribution to reaching key agreements," he said on Friday at a meeting with Putin in Moscow during his first official foreign visit as president.
Turkmenistan has enough potential to increase trade with Russia, as well as joint projects in industry, energy, agriculture and other areas, Berdimuhamedov said. "Our state has sufficient potential to increase the volume of mutual trade, investments, implementation of joint projects in such spheres as industry, transport, energy, agriculture and a number of other areas," he said.
Berdimuhamedov also thanked Putin for supplying coronavirus vaccines to Turkmenistan. "In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation have shown a brilliant example of solidarity. We appreciate the prompt response of the Russian leadership to our request for supplies of vaccines, medicines, medical supplies and support for the citizens of Turkmenistan who are on Russian territory in this difficult period," he said at a press conference on Friday following talks held in the Kremlin.
Last July, the Ministry of Health of Turkmenistan announced the beginning of compulsory immunization against coronavirus for all Turkmen citizens over 18 years old. Russian vaccines Sputnik V and Epivaccorona, as well as the Chinese drug CoronaVac, are used for this purpose. Turkmenistan was one of the first countries to register Russian vaccines.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS