President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received CEO of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Rovnag Abdullayev, who arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the International Oil and Gas Investment Forum.

Thanking for the opportunity of a personal meeting, the guest conveyed warm greetings to the President of Turkmenistan from President Ilham Aliyev, who expressed the interest of the Azerbaijani side in building up the traditional partnership across the entire spectrum of areas.

Addressing the head of the friendly country the best wishes, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov underlined that Turkmenistan, which has always valued good relations with its closest neighbors, intended to continue deepening fruitful cooperation for the benefit of the Turkmen and Azerbaijani peoples.

During the meeting, it was noted that Turkmenistan, which has colossal resource potential, had taken effective steps to develop its richest hydrocarbon deposits, diversify energy supplies from the Caspian region to world markets.

In this regard, the parties discussed the possibilities of enhancing partnership in the strategic fuel and energy sector, including the implementation of joint projects, the most important of which is the development of hydrocarbon resources of the largest Dostluk field in the Caspian Sea.

It was noted that the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on joint exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources of this field singed in January this year opened up new prospects for joint work on a solid international legal basis, providing favorable conditions for large foreign investments, strengthening national economies, creating new jobs, improving the level and quality of life of the population.

The President of Turkmenistan and his guest stated that the Caspian theme was the most important area of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, the countries that make a significant contribution to the transformation of the Caspian Sea into a zone of peace, good neighborliness and effective partnership.

The Turkmen leader and his guest expressed satisfaction with the progress in the implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline project initiated by the Turkmen side.

The head of the Azerbaijan State Oil Company emphasized that the initiatives put forward by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had been widely supported in the world, as they are aimed at enhancing international cooperation, diversifying export routes and creating the necessary conditions for safe and reliable transit of energy resources to world markets, including the Eurasian continent.

Taking this opportunity, the guest congratulated the President of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people on the approaching significant dates - the 30th anniversary of independence and the 140th anniversary of Ashgabat.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the CEO of SOCAR exchanged good wishes.