Turkmenistan willing to increase supplies of hydrocarbons, electricity to SCO countries - Berdimuhamedow
ASHGABAT. July 5 (Interfax) - Turkmenistan has the opportunity to significantly increase supplies of hydrocarbons and electricity to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, Turkmen People's Council Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said.
The text of Berdimuhamedow's speech at the SCO summit in Astana on July 3-4 was published in Turkmenistan's central newspapers, including the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, on Friday.
"We see prospects for the participation of the SCO countries in the context of combining the resource, economic and transport potentials of Central Asia, India and Pakistan. We also see major prospects for cooperation in the energy sector. Turkmenistan has the opportunity to significantly increase the volume of hydrocarbon and electricity supplies to SCO countries," Berdimuhamedow said.
"In this context, I want to emphasize that we are rigorously fulfilling our contractual obligations in terms of the volumes and timing of natural gas supplies," he said.
He also invited SCO countries to join projects for the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and a power transmission line in that direction.
"We invite interested SCO states to consider the parameters of their participation in energy and communication projects in Afghanistan initiated by Turkmenistan. This is the implementation of projects for the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, power transmission lines and fiber-optic communications along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route," Berdimuhamedow said.
He said that in addition to economic benefits, these projects will integrate Afghanistan into "regional and continental processes" and will contribute to the country's economic and social recovery, and with it political stabilization and peace.
The SCO includes ten states - India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Belarus, which became a full member at this summit. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status.
