Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday failed to ink a planned energy deal with his Turkmenistan counterpart but officials promised such an agreement would be signed shortly.
The talks focussed on plans to build a gas pipeline skirting round the Caspian Sea from Turkmenistan to Russia and another pipeline connecting gas fields inside the country.
"These documents are being completed and I think we will move to sign them in the near future," said Medvedev.
There had been expectations the pipeline agreement would be signed Wednesday although the two sides inked a raft of other agreements on security, agriculture and other issues.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said agreements on cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan were "proceeding in a normal way."
The talks occurred as outside powers are vying with Moscow for influence over the ex-Soviet republic's vast natural gas reserves. In addition to Russia, China, the European Union and the U.S. are all seeking Turkmen energy supplies.
An aide to the Russian president insisted relations with Turkmenistan were strong and the agreement would be signed soon on the project for a pipeline inside Turkmenistan, connecting gas fields to the main artery to be built to Russia.
"There are no disagreements. It's a serious agreement...it just needs to be completed," Sergei Prikhodko told journalists, saying the project was worth about $1 billion.
The two leaders might meet again in Saint Petersburg in June or July, a Kremlin official said.
The Kommersant newspaper earlier said the two leaders hoped to sign a deal on Wednesday on the planned pipeline inside Turkmenistan, measuring about 600 kilometers in length.
Russia has long been the main buyer of Turkmenistan's vast natural gas reserves, some of which it uses to help meet European demand. However the E.U. has its own ambitions to include Turkmenistan in the planned Nabucco pipeline, intended as an alternative gas source for Europe.
And while the E.U. project is mired in difficulties, China is making inroads, having begun building a pipeline that should stretch from Turkmenistan to China.
There was also no sign Wednesday of a deal on abolishing the two countries' visa regime, something Kommersant had reported the leaders might do.
Berdymukhamedov was also to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after the talks with Medvedev.