Turkmen and Uzbek Presidents Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Islam Karimov have discussed priority issues of cooperation in a telephone call. They agreed to continue expanding productive ties, the Turkmen government said.
They plan to improve trade-economic partnership, humanitarian cooperation. They also exchanged views on regional and international affairs of bilateral interest.
Berdimuhamedov invited his Uzbek counterpart to visit Turkmenistan at any free time. Karimov accepted the invitation, its terms will be set by through diplomatic channels.
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan increased trade turnover by 50% last year, reaching $270 million.
The two states are realizing major projects, such as the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, that was completed in December 2009. The sides are planning to cooperate in realizing a railway project to connect Middle Asia and the Gulf.
Ashkhabad and Tashkent agreed to prepare and inter-governmental deal on free trade. They are studying investment opportunities, realizing mutually beneficial projects in various spheres.
