President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, at talks in an expanded format with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, called trade and economic relations a key component of the bilateral partnership and proposed to develop targeted proposals at the interdepartmental level to increase mutual trade turnover.

The Head of Turkmenistan focused on such segments of cooperation as energy, transport, pharmaceutical industry, textile industry, agriculture and water management, investment activities, pointing to the potential of business communities in expanding trade between the two countries. Serdar Berdimuhamedov spoke in favor of the mutual opening of trading houses and representative offices, information and advisory bureaus for entrepreneurship to establish commercial contacts.

Given that Turkmenistan ranks 4th in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, the fuel and energy complex represents a promising field of cooperation, including in such an urgent area as the production of hydrogen from gas, the president said, stating the country's readiness to consider relevant proposals from Hungary.

Among the priorities of cooperation, the Head of state highlighted the transport sector, especially in the context of the development of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) corridor, and industrial cooperation through the creation of joint production enterprises. Berdimuhamedov proposed to instruct the relevant bodies to prepare a list of specific projects and business plans to determine the possibilities of their financing.

Touching upon cultural and humanitarian cooperation, the President recalled the Hungarian orientalist Arminia Vamberi, whose 190th anniversary was celebrated in 2022 and who in his famous book "Journey through Central Asia" testified to the role of the great Turkmen poet Magtymguly. Next year, 2024, the 300th anniversary of the birth of the classic of Turkmen literature will be widely celebrated, and Serdar Berdimuhamedov invited Hungarian friends to take part in the anniversary celebrations.

Also, the parties agreed to hold cross-cultural Days of Turkmenistan and Hungary and other events along this line, voiced proposals for cooperation in the field of education, Serdar Berdimuhamedov said, speaking to media representatives.

ORIENT news