In the central building of the oil and gas complex of Turkmenistan, negotiations were held between the leadership of the State Concern “Turkmengas” and the delegation of the Republic of Iraq, who visited Turkmenistan.  The Iraqi delegation was led by Deputy Energy Minister Adil Karim Kak Ahmed and Deputy Oil Minister Ezat Sabir Esmail.

  The purpose of the meeting was to hold consultations on the purchase of Turkmen natural gas through the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Iraq under the SWAP scheme (exchange operations).

   Deputy Energy Minister Adil Karim Kak Ahmed, expressing gratitude for the organization of the meeting and the hospitality of the Turkmen side, stressed that cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Iraq would be based on mutually beneficial conditions.

   As the head of the Iraqi delegation noted, Iraq’s need for Turkmen natural gas is growing due to the rapidly developing infrastructure of the country.  During the meeting, the guests expressed their interest in organizing cooperation with the State Concern “Turkmengas” on the basis of a long-term contract for the purchase of natural gas for a period of at least 5 years.

   Representatives of the State Concern “Turkmengas”, after listening to the guests and assessing the needs of the Iraqi economy in energy resources, noted that the Turkmen side is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation.

   As a first step towards establishing partnerships, the need was noted for concluding a Memorandum on the purchase of gas on the basis of mutual understanding between the two parties: the State Concern “Turkmengas” and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Iraq.

   During the meeting, technical, financial and commercial issues related to the organization of natural gas supplies from Turkmenistan through the gas pipeline of the State Concern “Turkmengas” to Iran were discussed.

   The prepared draft Memorandum was considered by the representatives of the two parties.  As a result of the discussions, the document was supplemented with relevant notes, and the final form of the Memorandum was mutually agreed upon and adopted.  In the near future, the Iraqi side will sign a Memorandum on the purchase of gas.