Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 7
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
Since the end of 2009, China has bought 160 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas and become its largest importer, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of China to Turkmenistan Sun Weidong said in an interview with the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper.
“Three lines of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline with a design capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year have been built so far,” said the Chinese diplomat.
Some 2,000 employees of 30 Chinese enterprises are engaged in economic activity in Turkmenistan. The total trade turnover between the two countries has significantly increased during 25 years of diplomatic relations.
“Under the influence of sluggish global trade, depression in the market of energy resources and other factors, the bilateral trade turnover in monetary terms decreased, but its volume remained the same for the last two years,” said the Chinese ambassador. “During the eleven months of last year, the trade turnover reached $5.4 billion.”
The diplomat added that the Chinese-Turkmen cooperation has great potential.
Both sides are actively discussing the development of a special program to expand partnership in the economic sphere. The scientific and technological cooperation will become one of its most important aspects. The two sides plan to hold the first Chinese-Turkmen scientific and innovative forum this year.