Turkey, Turkmenistan agree on trading in national currencies

Turkey and Turkmenistan agreed to use their national currencies in their bilateral commercial deals yesterday. Speaking at the fourth Turkish-Turkmen Economic Commission meeting (HEK) in Ashkgabat, Turkmenistan, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan announced that the two countries had agreed to conduct trade in the Turkish Lira and Turkmen Manat. During the meeting, both Caglayan and Turkmen President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov expressed their gratitude for the increasing presence of Turkish companies in Turkmenistan. Caglayan said construction projects carried out by Turkish contractors in Turkmenistan amounted to $3.2 billion, adding that Turkey is also willing to help Turkmenistan carry its vast natural resources to Europe.