Prospects for the development of mutually beneficial partnership in the fuel and energy sector are one of the priority areas of the Turkmen-Kazakh trade and economic cooperation.  This was discussed during the top-level talks between President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held yesterday in Ashgabat.

 As the head of Turkmenistan emphasized, there are good prospects for cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, in realizing the mutual potential of the parties as the largest suppliers of energy resources to international markets.

 As a vivid example, the President named the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China, part of which runs through the territory of Kazakhstan.

 “Our country is ready to substantively discuss technical, organizational and other issues related to the possibilities of organizing supplies of Turkmen natural gas,” Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.

 At a briefing for journalists, the head of Turkmenistan also said that during the summit meeting, the consistent, interested and mutually beneficial nature of the bilateral trade and economic partnership was noted, and mutual readiness to expand and diversify it was confirmed.

 The Turkmen leader noted that energy, transport and communications, the agro-industrial complex, and a number of other areas were highlighted among the priority areas.  In this context, the importance of attracting business circles of both countries to interstate cooperation was emphasized.

 In turn, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a briefing that the parties confirmed their readiness to work on joint «anchor projects» in a number of areas of the economy.

 In this regard, the President of Kazakhstan mentioned that good opportunities are opening up through partnerships in the gas industry.  In this regard, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced an appeal to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to consider the possibility of supplying Turkmen gas to the Kazakh market at mutually acceptable prices, expressing his full support for the opinion of the head of Turkmenistan on the importance of a planned, systematic approach to resolving this issue.

 Industrial cooperation is also identified as an important area of ​​promising bilateral cooperation.  It was noted that today both countries have accumulated a lot of experience in the formation and development of various industries, the creation and effective functioning of industrial enterprises.

 For more effective economic cooperation, the governments of the two countries were instructed to expedite the signing of the Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments.