Successfully implementing a foreign policy based on the principles of peacefulness and positive neutrality, Turkmenistan develops constructive cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats. For 30 years of independence, the country has established political, diplomatic, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations with dozens of countries around the world. Among them, the leading position is occupied by a long-standing strategic partner — the Russian Federation. An analyst Vadim Shagiahmedov told about it in an interview to CentralAsia.news.
According to him, the main factor of the dynamic development of Turkmen-Russian relations is the open, friendly political dialogue between the leaders of the two countries. The expert noted that the states have created a solid legal basis for building up interstate partnerships.
Common past
Such a high level of interstate interaction is partly dictated by more than seventy years of coexistence within a single state. During the Soviet period, relations between the RSFSR and the TSSR, therefore, between the Turkmen and Russian peoples, grew so closely together that no declarations of state sovereignty, other numerous restrictions arising from the «people of sovereignty» could significantly affect the expansion of cooperation at a different qualitative level.
Thousands of interracial marriages, many generations of Turkmen citizens studying in Russian universities, the large Turkmen diaspora in the Russian Federation and the Russian diaspora in Turkmenistan constitute a solid moral, spiritual, cultural and humanitarian basis for further integration.
Economic ties
Last year the volume of foreign trade turnover between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation amounted to about 1 billion 380 million US dollars.
Turkmenistan cooperates with large constituent entities of the Russian Federation, such as the Republic of Tatarstan, the Astrakhan region, St. Petersburg, which are important economic, scientific and cultural centers of Russia.
At the same time, there is a solid potential for the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation in various spheres of the economy, and an increase in the volume of mutual trade.
Industrial sector
It is necessary to note the contribution of the leading Russian companies Vozrozhdenie, KAMAZ, Zarubezhneft, Lukoil, Gazprom, Siberia Airlines to the implementation of national programs of Turkmenistan aimed at the development of the industrial sector, construction and transport. In recent years, the list of domestic products supplied to Russia has noticeably expanded.
Among the priority areas of the Turkmen-Russian partnership are the supply of automotive technology and equipment, aircraft construction, shipbuilding, and services. Productive relations have been established with PJSC KAMAZ, PJSC Tatneft, JSC Kazan Helicopters, Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation.
Humanitarian and educational partnership
In the context of bilateral humanitarian cooperation, various cultural events are regularly held in both countries, traditional educational ties are actively developing, and the number of Turkmen students studying at Russian universities is growing.
Humanitarian ties occupy a special place in relations between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation. Here, one of the key vectors is long-term cooperation in the field of personnel training for educational institutions.
Solid package of documents
Fruitful bilateral contacts are a good example in the aspect of effective Turkmen-Russian cooperation. Today, the states have a solid package of signed documents that allow constantly building up cooperation and covering a wide range of industries.
