President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov met with Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, to explore ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, as reported by Turkmenportal. The meeting focused on various collaborative opportunities and future projects between the two countries.
President Berdimuhamedov welcomed Minister Bayraktar and expressed optimism that the visit would strengthen ties between Turkmenistan and Turkey. Bayraktar relayed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and stressed the importance of expanding the partnership, especially in energy.
Key topics of discussion included the transportation of Turkmen gas to Turkey and Europe, and the potential construction of a power plant on Turkmenistan’s Caspian Sea coast. President Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to continuing energy cooperation with Turkey, citing the deep-rooted relationship and mutual trust between the nations.
Turkish Companies’ Involvement
The meeting also addressed the role of Turkish companies in various sectors such as fuel and energy, ore production, transport, communications, agriculture, and investment. President Berdimuhamedov highlighted Turkey’s prominent position in Turkmenistan’s foreign trade and identified significant opportunities for enhancing bilateral and regional relations.
Legal Framework for Cooperation
The discussion underscored the importance of recent agreements, including the “Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in the Field of Hydrocarbon Resources” and the “Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation on the Development of Partnership in the Field of Natural Gas,” signed in March. These agreements lay a solid legal foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
A major prospect discussed was the construction of a combined cycle power plant on the Turkmen Caspian coast. This initiative aims to enable the export of Turkmen electricity to neighboring countries, Turkey, and beyond. President Berdimuhamedov expressed openness to evaluating proposals and supporting Turkish initiatives in this area.
