Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Sept. 30 /Trend H. Hasanov/
At a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Turkmenistan's initiative to ensure energy security, the UN News Centre reported on Monday.
According to the report, during the meeting the sides discussed the situation in the country and issues of regional cooperation in Central Asia, including the management of water resources and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
'The UN Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to Turkmenistan for its contribution to the stability and development in Afghanistan', the report said.
Delegates of the previous 67th session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the transit of energy resources on Turkmenistan's initiative. Over 70 countries were the co-authors of this document.
It is scheduled to hold a meeting of international experts on the subject in Ashgabat in early 2014.
Turkmenistan is one of the key players in the gas market in the Caspian region and Central Asia. At this stage, users of Turkmen natural fuel are China, Iran and Russia. For its natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world and the country is searching for new markets in Europe and South Asia.
Ashgabat believes that under current conditions, coordinated measures should be taken by producing, transit and consumer countries capable of optimising economic development, as well as create the needed infrastructure for energy transport.