Presidents of Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Almazbek Atambayev during a phone conversation confirmed the existence of great potential for boosting relations in a wide range of areas, including in the trade and economic sphere.
The Turkmen government said in a message that the parties noted the expediency of working together to expand the range of mutually supplied goods and services, create conditions to establish a dialogue between the two countries’ businessmen.
Berdimuhamedov and Atambayev called for further stimulation of scientific and educational, cultural contacts, active cooperation in the field of sports and tourism. Meanwhile, they exchanged views on topical issues of mutual interest of regional and international agenda.
Moreover, the two presidents stated that the existing high level of mutual understanding and trust served as a solid foundation for productive interaction both in bilateral and in multilateral format, in particular, within the framework of big international organizations and structures, primarily the UN and the CIS, according to the message.
Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan are involved in a big project for the delivery of Central Asian gas to China, primarily from Turkmenistan.
The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has been purchasing natural fuel in this region since 2009, after the first two branches of the gas pipeline (A and B) from Turkmenistan through the territories of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were launched. The third branch (C) has been commissioned recently, which also runs along this route.
Currently, work is underway to build the additional fourth branch (D) – on a new transit route – through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. (Trend/Business World Magazine)