Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct.30
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter plans to visit Turkmenistan in late November 2014, a message from the government of Turkmenistan said on Oct.30.
The issues related to preparations for the visit were discussed during a meeting with the Ambassador of Switzerland to Turkmenistan (with residence in Baku) Pascal Obisher at Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the international policy issues, regional and global security and priority areas of cooperation in the spheres of trade and economy, according to the message.
It was earlier reported that the energy security issues were discussed during a meeting between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.
"The initiatives of Turkmenistan to increase the volume of electricity supply to Afghanistan, as well as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) projects promise greater economic benefits not only for the participants of the large-scale projects, but also all countries in the region," Zannier said during that meeting.
Turkmenistan joined OSCE on January 30, 1992. Several large international forums of OSCE and UN, including those on energy security have been recently held in Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan considers it appropriate to intensify the energy dialogue within OSCE, to formulate the mechanisms for multilateral consultations on political, financial, economic, technological and environmental aspects of construction and operation of the multiple pipeline infrastructure.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth for its natural gas reserve in the world and currently, it exports its gas to China, CIS countries and Iran. The possibility of constructing gas pipelines from Turkmenistan to the markets of South Asia and Europe is also under consideration.
Edited by SI