Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday said he would travel to the Central Asian state of Turkmenistan at the beginning of July amid a struggle to control its enormous gas reserves.
"We will discuss a range of issues in early July during my official visit to Ashgabat," Medvedev said during a meeting with Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on the sidelines of a regional summit in St. Petersburg.
"Russia is Turkmenistan 's main strategic partner," Berdymukhamedov said.
The visit comes as the West and China move to secure a greater share of the country's vast hydrocarbon reserves, which have traditionally been exported through Russia.