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Putin to hold talks with Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan leaders at Caspian forum

Presidents of Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are scheduled to gather for the 4th Caspian Sea summit on September 29 in the Russian southern city of Astrakhan

MOSCOW, September 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to hold separate bilateral meetings with the presidents of Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on the sidelines of the Caspian summit in Astrakhan, southern Russia, on September 29, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Friday.

At the meeting with Iran’s leader Hassan Rouhani, the third one this year, Putin is due to discuss strengthening bilateral trade and economic, as well as nuclear civilian cooperation, and also Iran’s nuclear program and the situation in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

The sides are to discuss boosting bilateral trade, which decreased by 31.5% last year to $1.6 billion, as well as the implementation of an inter-governmental memorandum on mutual understanding.

During the talks with Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, which will be the first meeting between the two leaders this year, the sides could reach an agreement on the date of the leader’s visit to Russia.

The negotiations with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev will focus on a range of bilateral and international issues, including the supplies of Azerbaijan’s agricultural goods to Russia, the presidential aide said.

Ushakov stressed that Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Russia in the South Caucasus and Caspian region, and relations with Baku are of a friendly and mutually beneficial character.

In 2013, trade between Russia and Azerbaijan reached $3.5 billion and is expected to rise further this year.

Presidents of Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are scheduled to gather for the 4th Caspian Sea summit on September 29 in the Russian southern city of Astrakhan.