On 16 September the fourth session of the intergovernmental Turkmenistan-Kyrgyzstan commission on trade and economic, scientific and engineering and humanitarian cooperation was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry reports that the sides discussed the opportunities for expanding partnerships in textile industry, agriculture, energy and transportation.
Kyrgyzstan’s news agency “Kabar” reports that in the course of the session Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Aleksandr Dadaev said that “the trade turnover between the countries have increased 200 fold” and offered Kyrgyz colleagues to make mutual payments in manats and soms.
According to Dadaev, “if there had previously been only unilateral trade, now both sides are involved”.
The entrepreneur said that Turkmenistan is undergoing transition to the market economy. Before 2008 the economy was heavily state-controlled whereas now the private sector is successfully operating.
Until 2008 the share of private business was 1% whereas now it accounts for 64%, Aleksandr Dadaev stated.