Honorable President Met with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey

On March 19, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, met with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar, and the General Director of the company "Botaş," Abdulvahid Fidan, who were visiting the country. Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to discuss priority areas of bilateral cooperation and noting that great importance is attached in the Republic of Turkey to strengthening fraternal relations with independent Turkmenistan, the guests congratulated Hero-Arkadag on the sacred month of Oraza. Taking the opportunity, Alparslan Bayraktar conveyed warm greetings to Hero-Arkadag from the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Expressing appreciation for the congratulations, Hero-Arkadag extended his best wishes to the leader of the brotherly state. The National Leader of the Turkmen people noted that he was pleased to welcome Turkish guests within the framework of the International Conference "International Year of Peace and Trust: The Role of Interregional Economic Cooperation in Ensuring Sustainable Development," held in Ashgabat. Hero-Arkadag also expressed confidence that the visit of the delegation from the friendly country would be fruitful and that meetings with Turkmen colleagues would provide a significant impetus for the further development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. Expressing gratitude for the invitation to participate in the forum in Ashgabat, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey noted that Turkmenistan's initiative to declare 2025 as the "International Year of Peace and Trust" is a testament to the international community’s recognition of the country's peaceful foreign policy. At the same time, Alparslan Bayraktar emphasized the importance of the initiatives and valuable recommendations voiced by Hero-Arkadag in his speech at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. Quoting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement, "One nation – two states," the National Leader of the Turkmen people highlighted that the Republic of Turkey is currently a major trade and economic partner of Turkmenistan, holding a leading position in foreign trade turnover. In this regard, Hero-Arkadag also emphasized the vast potential for developing productive cooperation in the fuel and energy, transport and communications, and investment sectors at both bilateral and regional levels. As noted, Turkmenistan pursues a policy based on the modernization of the fuel and energy complex and the expansion of energy export routes to global markets through diversification. The country is also implementing various projects for the production of environmentally friendly, high-quality products in high demand on global and regional markets based on the processing of hydrocarbon raw materials. Confirming Turkmenistan’s readiness to further strengthen its partnership with the Republic of Turkey in the energy sector, Hero-Arkadag noted that one of the key issues is the export of Turkmen natural gas to the brotherly country and further to European states. It was reported that currently, Turkmen natural gas is transported to the Republic of Turkey via the Islamic Republic of Iran under a SWAP scheme. With the commissioning of a power plant under construction on Turkmenistan's Caspian coast, there will also be an opportunity to export electricity across the sea to neighboring countries, including Turkey and others. Hero-Arkadag expressed Turkmenistan’s willingness to consider specific proposals from the Turkish side in the mentioned areas and other issues of mutual interest and to support its constructive initiatives. At the conclusion of the meeting, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Hero-Arkadag, and the representatives of the friendly country exchanged best wishes, expressing confidence in the further development of multifaceted bilateral cooperation in the interests of the brotherly peoples of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Turkey. Source: State News Agency of Turkmenistan

20.03.2025