Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Friday that the volume of trade between Russia and Central Asian countries exceeds $45 billion.

According to Yemen News Agency, Lavrov, in his speech during a meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Business Council, stated that both sides have agreed to explore ways to enhance cooperation in light of this substantial trade volume.

He highlighted that Russia is experiencing an upsurge in cooperation and investment with its Asian neighbors, who have lauded Moscow's support for infrastructure projects within their countries. Lavrov emphasized the necessity to attract new investors from the West, Asia, and other regions, focusing on "quality standards and technology transfer."

Furthermore, Lavrov mentioned that the upcoming Russia-Central Asia Summit, scheduled for next October in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, will concentrate on trade and economic issues. He noted that the leaders of the six Central Asian countries and Russia are set to discuss a broad spectrum of cooperation topics, with trade, economic, investment, industrial, and scientific-technological issues being central to the negotiations.