ANKARA
The already-close ties between Turkey and Turkmenistan will continue to flourish, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
Speaking to the press before starting face-to-face talks with his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Erdogan drew attention to the number of important projects Turkish construction companies are carrying out in Turkmenistan.
He added that relations will also develop in trade, culture and tourism.
Erdogan was welcomed by Berdimuhamedow with an official ceremony on Friday. Turkmenistan is the first Central Asian country Erdogan has visited as president.
"Turkey and Turkmenistan have common stances for establishing global peace and prosperity," Berdimuhamedow said, mentioning that the economic ties between the two countries enrich historic fraternity between Turkish and Turkmen nations.
The two nations also enjoy strong relations in terms of trade and investment, with about 600 Turkish companies registered in the country with more than $34 billion in contract work.
The trade volume between the two countries reached $2.6 billion in 2013.
Energy trade between Turkmenistan and Turkey also has great potential as the former holds some 10 to 12 percent of proven natural gas reserves in the world.
Turkey could have an important role in delivering Turkmen gas into the European market, if the country were to begin gas exports to Turkey.
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