The development of the fuel and energy complex of Turkmenistan, international cooperation in this area and the implementation of major projects are the focus of the constant attention of the state. Important evidence of this is the speeches of the respected President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at major international forums, summit meetings, meetings of intergovernmental commissions, documents and agreements signed within their framework. All these events are reflected in domestic and foreign media. We offer their digest for November of the current year. 

The respected President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced our readiness to increase supplies of gas and electricity to the countries participating in the Economic Cooperation Organization, speaking at the ECO Summit in Tashkent on November 9. The head of the Turkmen state recalled a number of large-scale energy projects with the participation of ECO countries, proposed by Turkmenistan, and called upon partners to expand cooperation in that area to create a unified energy system of the Organization. 

In Ashgabat, in the first ten days of November, a meeting was held between representatives of the Türkmengaz State Concern and an Iraqi delegation led by the Minister of Electricity Ziad Ali Fadel. The parties discussed issues related to the organization of supplies of Turkmen natural gas to Iraq under the SWAP scheme through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In particular, the legal, commercial, financial and organizational conditions for future joint activities in the gas industry were discussed. 

As a result of the negotiations, a Protocol was signed on the main commercial terms of the agreement on the supplies, purchase and sale of Turkmen natural gas to the Republic of Iraq. According to the Protocol, within 5 years Turkmen natural gas in the amount of 9 billion cubic meters a year is to be supplied to Iraq through Iran under the SWAP scheme. 

The topic of cooperation in the fuel and energy sector was touched upon during a meeting of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates Suhail Al-Mazrouei on November 17. It was noted that positive partnership experience had been accumulated with leading energy companies of the United Arab Emirates. Turkmenistan, which has a rich natural resource potential, aims to further enhance this productive interaction. In this context, the head of state invited partners from the UAE to actively participate in the implementation of large international energy projects implemented by Turkmenistan. 

In this regard, let us also recall an online meeting of the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan for fuel and energy issues Batyr Amanov with the Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Falih, which was held on behalf of the respected President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on November 16. The interlocutors considered the directions for the practical implementation of agreements reached during the working visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Saudi Arabia, where he had participated in the summit of the heads of the GCC member states and Central Asian countries. 

The further development of cooperation in the field of energy, gas chemistry and oil refining, among other issues, was discussed during online negotiations held on November 15 between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Co-Chairman of the Turkmen-Japanese Committee for Economic Cooperation Rashid Meredov and the Co-Chairman of the Japanese-Turkmen Committee for Economic Cooperation Hiroyuki Tsubai. 

The fuel and energy complex was named among the key vectors of the Turkmen-Iranian cooperation at the meeting of the respected President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mehrdad Bazrpash on November 17. 

Much attention in domestic and foreign media was paid to a meeting of the Turkmen-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and Business Forum, held in the Turkmen capital on November 17-18. During the Commission meeting, Turkmenistan and Iran confirmed their readiness to develop gas cooperation. In particular, Ashgabat expressed its readiness to increase the volume of natural gas supplies to Iran via the Körpeje–Kurt-Kuýi gas pipeline and through the Çaloýuk station. 

Turkmenistan also announced plans to increase natural gas supplies through Iran to third countries, using a SWAP scheme. New initiatives in the field of gas cooperation had become an important step in the development of the strategic relations between Turkmenistan and Iran, as it was noted in the official press of the two states. 

In addition, on November 17–19, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan hosted a Specialized Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran entitled “Iran Prože”, among the exhibitors of which were Iranian companies specializing in the oil and gas sphere. 

In the energy sector, there is an increase in gas production due to the development of new wells, which will make it possible to increase exports and to strengthen energy security both in the region and the world as a whole. This was noted in materials posted in mid-November on the pages of Turkmen publications and on various Internet sites. 

In particular, the focus was on the information that the Türkmengaz and Türkmennebit State Concerns and the Türkmengeologiýa State Corporation had received industrial gas discharge from the wells of three fields – Galkynyş, Tagtabazar-I and Uzynada. This was achieved due to national investments in the exploration and development of new wells in the fields to increase oil and gas production. 

In addition, with reference to information from the Türkmenistan newspaper, electronic media provide information on the indices of the production of “black gold” at the oldest oil field in Turkmenistan, Goturdepe, for 10 months of the current year. More than 895 thousand tons of oil were produced there, which is 6.5 thousand tons more than in the same period last year. It is also reported that 361 million cubic meters of associated gas were produced at the field. This figure showed an increase of 6% a year. 

In November, forthcoming events were also announced, during which, along with others, issues of further enhancing cooperation in the fuel and energy sector would be considered. These include the seventh meeting of the Turkmen-Azerbaijani Intergovernmental Commission and a business forum. Companies, specializing in the oil and gas industry, plan to participate in these events in Ashgabat, scheduled for November 27–28 this year. 

The press also reports on the forthcoming International Forum to attract foreign investments in the energy sector of our country in Paris on April 24-25, 2024, with the participation of oil and gas state concerns of Turkmenistan. 

The Forum aims to expand opportunities for attracting direct investments from abroad in various sectors of the energy industry of Turkmenistan and to strengthen the regional dialogue on the further sustainable development of this sphere. In particular, the event will discuss prospects of cooperation related to the extraction, transportation and processing of oil and gas. It will be attended by leading national and international energy companies and experts who determine the future of the oil and gas industry not only in Turkmenistan, but also in the region as a whole.