The Russian Gasprom will start its permanent office in Turkmenistan in the nearest future. The Gasprom chairman Alexei Miller announced it after the meeting with Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. According to him the issues of purely technical nature are being settled at present time. As the correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports from Ashgabat there were discussed an Agreement on cooperation in the gas field between Russia and Turkmenistan and also undertaking priority steps to secure supply of the Turkmen gas to Russia during the meeting. In particular, the issues of implementation of the gas purchase contract for 2004 and agreeing on the mix of counter-deliveries of processing equipment and services as a payment for gas were considered. Replying to a question if Russia supports its compatriots in Turkmenistan, Alexei Miller stated that Gasprom intended to consider in the frame of its sponsorship and charitable activity budget for 2004 allocation of money to support Russian culture in Turkmenistan. We provide support to Russian culture in the states we work in and Russian people live in, and we are ready to provide assistance in this direction, Miller said. (Turkmenistan.ru)