OREANDA-NEWS. September 9, 2008. The international exhibition and conference Oil and Gas Potential of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan: Energy, Economy, Ecology. Partnership Strategy has started its work in the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku on September 9.

The agreement on the international forum was achieved during President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s official visit to Baku where the leaders of two neighbouring countries had held the talks initiating a new determinative stage in the history of the Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations.

“We have the common view that fuel and energy co-operation will become a strategic field of further intergovernmental partners,” President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said during the top level talks and put forward the initiative to hold the large international forum.

Partnership in oil and gas sector that both countries as the world’s energy producers attach paramount importance to plays a particular role in the intergovernmental dialogue notably intensified in recent years and built on good neighbourliness, equality and mutual interests. Turkmenistan’s goodwill to bring the relations with fraternal Azerbaijan up to a higher level meeting the mutual interests reflects fully the consistency of the Turkmen leader’s course towards establishing wide international co-operation.

According to the State Agency of Hydrocarbon Management and Use under President of Turkmenistan the major goal of the forum organized by the oil and gas departments of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan with the assistance of the foreign ministries is to study the opportunities and potential of bilateral energy co-operation and to present them to the world. Numerous foreign guests will take part in the forum along with the heads of the fuel and energy concerns and subdivisions, specialists, scientists and experts from both countries. In particular, the world’s largest financial organisations and well-known companies from different countries including the United States and EU member countries that Turkmenistan had signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Energy Cooperation this year showed intense interest in the forum.

All of these abundantly evidence that co-operation with Turkmenistan is viewed as very promising with due regard for the country’s huge resource potential proved by the independent experts and its plans to effectively implement this potential on the basis of mutually advantageous partnership. The progressive reforms, dynamic development of the fuel and energy sector and favourable investment climate guaranteeing protection of the investments made in Turkmenistan’s oil and gas sector makes the Turkmen energy market exceptionally attractive.

Thus, the Turkmen-Azerbaijani oil and gas forum will become an open platform for arousing active discussion and introducing both countries’ plans as well as the prospects of intensifying the dialogue that will strengthen the Turkmen-Azerbaijani tandem and accelerate integration of the neighbouring countries’ oil and gas sectors into the global energy system to the world business community.