The Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Hojamyrat Geldimyradov met with Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin to discuss expanding fruit and vegetable shipments under the “green corridor” mechanism, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service said Tuesday.

Zhumangarin noted that Kazakhstan continues to supply Turkmenistan with wheat flour, sunflower oil, wheat, pasta, margarine and tea concentrates. He proposed widening the range of exported goods to include corn, lentils, peas, soybeans, sugar and other food products.

Turkmenistan, in addition to natural gas, exports fruits and vegetables to Kazakhstan. This year, tomato imports exceeded 30,000 tons, making tomatoes the second most significant item in Turkmenistan’s export structure.

The two sides also discussed logistics development. Geldimyradov announced the start of construction of a dry port on the border with Herat and invited Kazakhstan to join the project. They also reviewed prospects for a transit route linking Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the construction of the Herat–Torghundi railway line.

Both sides reaffirmed their intention to expand trade, transport and logistics cooperation and create additional opportunities for businesses.

In the first nine months of this year, agricultural trade between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan reached $103 million, a 37.5% increase compared with the same period last year.