Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 6 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Ukraine is ready to contribute to infrastructure development in the Turkmen economy, including the construction of energy and industry facilities and field development, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in Ashgabat, Turkmen TV reported on Thursday.
Yesterday Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow met with the Ukrainian leader within the Summit of CIS Heads of State.
"President Viktor Yanukovych confirmed the desire of the Ukrainian side to further develop relations with Turkmenistan," the report said.
The fuel and energy sector, as well as transport and communications were noted as the priority fields.
Yanukovych discussed the issue of energy cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat. "All these issues are on the agenda. They are not static, they are changing. We certainly discussed these issues," the Ukrainian president told reporters when asked about the gas issue.
The experts point out that Ukraine's main interest in Turkmenistan is associated with the country's major natural gas reserves, which, as it was said in Kiev, is a competitive traditional energy source.
In turn, Ashgabat, which currently supplies gas to China, Iran and Russia, is interested in new markets, including the early entrance of its energy resources to Europe. It is known that, at this point, the traditional direction through Russia is underachieved, and the Trans-Caspian project, which must pass through the territory of Azerbaijan, is still under consideration.
Russia and Turkmenistan are major natural gas suppliers to the world markets in the CIS area. Russia received Turkmen gas for re-export to the Central Asia - Center (CAC) gas pipeline through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which, was monopolized by Russian Gazprom after the collapse of the Soviet Union.