Putin may visit Ashgabat next year to boost bilateral economic cooperation - Matviyenko
MOSCOW. Dec 14 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin may pay an official visit to Turkmenistan next year, Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko said.
"I think that the President of the Russian Federation will definitely pay a visit next year. As a rule, main decisions are made at the summit level, and they [the decisions] regarding the future and the strategy of our expanded economic interaction are now going to be made," Matviyenko told the Rossiya-24 television channel on Monday in an interview dedicated to her trip to Ashgabat on December 11-12.
There are many areas of interaction between Russia and Turkmenistan, the chairperson of the upper parliament chamber said.
"We need to adjust both the organizational mechanisms and the interaction between ministries and departments," Matviyenko said.
She singled out cooperation in new technologies and energy amongst cooperation areas.
Of course, we are interested in the involvement of our companies in hydrocarbon extraction projects and that will require efforts from both sides - Turkmenistan has vast reserves. Our companies would be encouraged to be more active in reaching that market," Matviyenko said.
She also said it was necessary to resolve gas purchase problems.
Another cooperation area is the participation of Russian companies in infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan, the chairperson said.
Turkmenistan plans to build more oil and gas refineries, and this is another sphere of Russia's interest, Matviyenko said.
"We are very interested in that, not just in selling, there may be joint ventures too," she said.