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Lavrov, Turkmenistan’s leadership to talk economic ties, global events

The sides will exchange views on the key issues of the international agenda, the cooperation of the two countries in the framework of the United Nations, the Caspian Five and the CIS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkmenistan’s counterpart Rasit Meredow Valery Sharifullin/TASS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkmenistan’s counterpart Rasit Meredow
© Valery Sharifullin/TASS

ASHGABAT, January 28. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due on Thursday to discuss the situation in the world and acute issues of bilateral relations, including trade and economic and humanitarian ties, at talks with Turkmenistan’s counterpart Rasit Meredow and President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov during his working visit to Ashgabat.

"During their meeting in Tehran in November the presidents of Russia and Turkmenistan confirmed the consistent course towards strategic partnership," Lavrov said upon his arrival in Turkmenistan’s capital on Wednesday.

"And, at our talks here we will consider certain issues related to the implementation of the decisions taken by the leaders of the two countries," Lavrov said.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said earlier the sides will exchange views on the key issues of the international agenda, the cooperation of the two countries in the framework of the United Nations, the Caspian Five (Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose alliance of former Soviet republics.

Much attention will be focused "on the situation in the Central Asian region with due regard for the situation in Afghanistan," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "Fight against international terrorism in the Middle East and the crisis in Ukraine" will also be a top focus, she said. The two foreign ministers will sign a program for cooperation between their ministries for 2016.

Moscow "values highly cooperation with Ashgabat in different spheres and sees the friendly and neutral Turkmenistan as strategic partner," the ministry said, noting that it hoped the visit would further strengthen the strategic partnership of Russia and Turkmenistan.