KAMAZ service complex opens in Ashkhabad

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev’s visit to Turkmenistan as part of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s official visit to Ashkhabad ended on July 5.

One of the key events of July 5 was the grand opening ceremony of the training-and-trade service complex KAMAZ in Ashkhabad. The Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev and Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov opened the complex. Members of the official Russian delegation, Turkmenistan Government, and diplomatic corps took part in the ceremony.

At the ceremony Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov congratulated people of Russia and Turkmenistan on the opening of a new KAMAZ training-and-service center. He thanked authorities of the Russian Federation, Tatarstan President, and chiefs of OAO KAMAZ for founding such an important center. He also indicated considerable contribution of OAO KAMAZ to Turkmenistan’s economy and development of bilateral relations between Russia and Turkmenistan.

Dmitry Medvedev considers KAMAZ to be one of the most rapidly developing Russian enterprises. He expressed hopes for the development of contacts between Turkmenistan and Russia. Russia is always open for a substantial and interesting partnership.

Afterwards, distinguished guests entered the center building and watched a documentary about how KAMAZ works in Turkmenistan. Director General of OAO KAMAZ, Sergei Kogogin, guided a tour around the manufacturing territory and informed about trucks’ technical features.

The opening of KAMAZ center will provide Turkmen consumers with high-quality services, supply of spare parts, and highly-qualified personnel specializing in repairs. The complex costs 7 million dollars. It occupies 1.6 hectares; total territory of buildings makes up 6 thousand square km. The center is supposed to provide service for 1 thousand trucks per year. Approximately 7 thousand trucks are exploited in Turkmenistan at present. The agreement, which was signed by Turkmenistan Government six months ago, stipulates further increase of KAMAZ trucks’ supply.

Bilateral meeting between Mintimer Shaimiev and Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov was held on July 5. Vital issues of further development of cooperation between Tatarstan and Turkmenistan were discussed.

According to the joint Turkmen-Russian statement, which was distributed after Russian President’s visit to Turkmenistan ended, “the chiefs of the two states paid special attention to the development of the cooperation between Turkmenistan and subjects of the Russian Federation, exhibited by partnerships with St. Petersburg, the Republic of Tatarstan, and Astrakhan Oblast”.