By Tass
Copyright tass
MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the interest of Central Asian countries in attracting Russian companies, as well as their demand for modern Russian technologies and equipment.
“Our neighboring Central Asian countries have a steady interest in attracting Russian companies to stimulate business activity, which also contributes to deepening economic integration in accordance with agreements reached at the presidential and head of government level,” he said at a meeting of the Business Council under the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov stressed that Russia remains one of the leading trade and economic partners of the Central Asian states.
“Our combined trade turnover with them exceeds $45 billion per year. Around 24,000 companies with Russian capital operate in Central Asia, joint projects are being implemented, the share of settlements in national currencies is growing, and transport and logistics infrastructure is improving,” he added.
According to the Foreign Minister, partners welcome Russia’s expanded participation in infrastructure projects. The use of resources from the Eurasian Development Bank and relevant programs of the Eurasian Economic Commission is a significant support for them.
The Russian top diplomat also recalled that a significant portion of the material and technical infrastructure of the Central Asian states was built during the Soviet era.
“But that was a long time ago, and, of course, the service life of this infrastructure has been quite long, in many cases exceeding, as we understand, industry standards. Therefore, it’s natural that modern Russian technologies and equipment are in high demand in the region. When I say Russian, I naturally mean that we must compete in this market, which is increasingly attracting the attention of investors from other regions, from the West, and from Asia. Therefore, issues of quality and the ability to promote our developments are particularly important here,” Lavrov said.
The minister cited a number of examples of successful cooperation, including the development of the eastern branch of the North-South international transport corridor and the participation of the Rosatom State Corporation in the development of a regional nuclear class.
Russian companies have made significant achievements in mineral deposit development, construction of industrial and energy facilities, and provision of digital services, he added.
