Russia and Turkmenistan will soon draft an intergovernmental agreement to establish a joint university, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a speech at the Institute of International Relations of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

“In the near future, we plan to implement a major project to create a Turkmen-Russian university. Today, my colleague and friend Rashid Meredov and I discussed the progress of preparations for this intergovernmental agreement,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov emphasized the importance of humanitarian cooperation in bilateral relations, praising Turkmenistan’s interest in the Russian language, literature and culture. He noted the popularity of the Russian Drama Theater in Ashgabat and the ongoing success of the joint Pushkin School.

“In Russia, the Turkmen language is studied at universities and at a specialized school in the Astrakhan region, where a significant Turkmen diaspora resides,” Lavrov added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Ashgabat on Wednesday for an official visit. On the same day, he met with President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and held talks with Turkmen Foreign Minister Meredov.