Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon in Ashgabat Oct. 11, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen government.
The parties discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation and noted the progressive dynamics of interstate dialogue.
The need to intensify trade and economic partnership was noted at the meeting, the report said.
A separate topic of discussion was cooperation in the transport and communications sector, which is conditioned by the favorable geographical position and transit capabilities of the two states.
An exchange of views also took place on a number of issues of regional and international policy of mutual interest.
As was reported in July, Tajikistan is completing construction of the first mountain tunnel as part of a project to build an additional branch “D” of the interstate gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China. It is expected that construction of the Tajik section of the gas pipeline will be completed in 2024.
Branch “D” will become an integral part of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline, completing the existing branches “A”, “B”, “C”, which pass from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Upon completion, the total capacity of the pipeline will reach 85 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway construction project was also mentioned among the joint profitable economic projects.
In addition, it was reported that Turkmenistan may supply electricity in transit through Afghanistan to Tajikistan in the autumn-winter period.