Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb.6
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
Turkmenistan attaches great importance to cooperation with the U.S., Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at a meeting with Chairman of the Turkmenistan-U.S. Business Council Eric Stuart, Turkmen government said on Feb.6.
"Turkmenistan attaches great importance to cooperation with the U.S. with which our country is bound by many years of successful experience of a fruitful partnership in all spheres and impressive potential for its further development," the president said.
During the meeting the parties highlighted the high level of Turkmen-U.S. relations especially in the sphere of mutual business contracts in recent years, the country's government said.
In turn, the chairman of the Turkmenistan-U.S. Business Council expressed his gratitude to the president for contribution towards the expansion of the partnership between the business circles of the U.S. and various fields of Turkmenistan's national economy council.
During the meeting the parties also exchanged views on the opportunities to attract U.S. companies for the implementation of new joint projects and investment programmes. In this context, issues of interaction in the spheres of energy, aviation, tourism and education were considered.
The Obama administration in the U.S. has taken a course of rapprochement with Turkmenistan. Ashgabat began to regularly hold exhibitions with U.S. companies coupled with high level business forums and talks.
Political consultations have gained a regular basis. Cooperation in the spheres such as the supply of agricultural machinery, modernisation of Turkmenistan's civil aviation fleet and import of electricity equipment continues.
Large U.S companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, General Electric and Case have opened offices in Turkmenistan. The White House began to actively support the regional gas pipeline projects from Turkmenistan such as TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) and the Trans-Caspian pipeline from the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan to Europe.
Negotiations are being held on the issues of development of Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon fields. The country ranks fourth in the world for natural gas reserves. Ashgabat invited foreign companies to develop the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian Sea. The interested companies are: Chevron, ExxonMobil, Conoco Phillips and Honeywell.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by S.M.