Turkmenia, Russia Should Boost Economic Cooperation

Russia is interested in transporting Turkmen oil and gas through its territory, Viktor Kalyuzhny, the Russian deputy foreign minister and special presidential representative for the Caspian Sea, said on Wednesday. Speaking at the international Oil and Gas-2001 conference in the Turkmen capital, Kalyuzhny indicated the "need for Russia and Turkmenia to draw up a specific outline for economic cooperation in the near future." Russia's share in Turkmen foreign trade makes up 6 percent in exports and 15 percent in imports. In 2000, 29 billion cubic metres of gas were delivered to Russia from Turkmenia, and only 10 billion in 2001. In particular, the special representative of the Russian president believes that the first session of the Turkmen-Russian economic commission and a 10-year agreement on deliveries of Turkmen natural gas to Russia would give an impetus to the mutually advantageous cooperation. In addition, a number of Russian oil and gas companies have expressed a desire to collaborate with Turkmenia in the extraction and transportation of energy supplies, Kalyuzhny stressed.