Armenia Says Ready to Transit Turkmen Gas, Electricity

Armenia is ready to become a transit country for Turkmen gas and electricity through the infrastructure of Iran, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Akop Vardanyan said during the ninth meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Armenian Commission on Economic Cooperation that took place on Tuesday in Ashgabat, the official Turkmen media reports.

The Commission is co-chaired by Shahym Abdrakhmanov, the Deputy Chairman of the Turkmen Government overseeing the country's oil and gas industry, and Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan.

During the event, Armen Ayvazyan, Head of the International Cooperation Department of Armenia's Economy Ministry, informed that his country is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and has free trade agreements with countries in Europe, Asia as well as Canada and the United States. In this regard, he encouraged the Turkmen companies to take advantage of these preferences to increase mutual trade turnover and expand the export-import nomenclature.

The sides also discussed cooperation in agriculture. Ayvazyan considers the establishment of joint ventures in the regions of Turkmenistan and Armenia for harvesting, packing and storage of fruits and vegetables with subsequent export to different countries, as well as processing of agricultural products and production of canned vegetables and fruits promising.

The parties agreed to promote an increase in trade turnover between the two countries and expand the range of exported goods by establishing contacts between business circles of the countries and organization of meetings.