St. Petersburg has proposed that Turkmenistan develop cooperation in the field of medicine, as well as organise cultural exchanges and tours by theatre companies. This was stated to journalists by the city’s vice-governor, Vladimir Omelnytsky, according to the news website Turkmenportal.

‘We proposed the possibility of holding so-called video conferences using artificial intelligence to exchange expertise, because there are top-level professionals in medical institutions in both Turkmenistan and St. Petersburg,’ he said, adding that St. Petersburg’s medical professionals have accumulated a wealth of experience in preserving health and saving lives, which they are ready to share.

Furthermore, according to Omelnytsky, the parties discussed cooperation in the cultural sphere — St. Petersburg proposed organising touring performances by theatre companies and presenting exhibitions from its museums in Ashgabat.

‘The cultural capital — the city of St. Petersburg — is ready to share everything we have... I am talking about museums and exhibitions that we are ready to stage here, in the halls of Ashgabat,’ said the vice-governor.

He expressed confidence that all the proposals put forward by the St. Petersburg side would be implemented, and thanked the Government of Turkmenistan for its attentive consideration of them.

Omelnytsky is on a working visit to Turkmenistan on behalf of the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov. As part of the trip, he held a meeting with Bahar Seyidova, Deputy Chairwoman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan for Culture and the Media, during which the parties discussed promising areas for cooperation.