Pakistan, Turkmenistan agree to expand ties in trade, defense, energy

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan and Turkmenistan on Tuesday agreed to enhance cooperation in all important sectors including trade, economy, defense, science, education, and investment.

In a media statement along with visiting Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that both sides agreed to intensify their joint efforts and further expand and deepen their bilateral cooperation, including in political, economic, and defense domains.

"We have specially deliberated upon ways to develop closer economic engagement in the priority areas of trade and investment, energy, connectivity. and information technology," said Dar in a statement, aired on state-run PTV News.

Dar added that he invited Turkmen companies to invest in Pakistan and offered the Central Asian Republic to benefit from opportunities in Pakistan including using Pakistani seaports.

The two foreign ministers also reviewed progress on the long-stalled four-nation energy corridor, involving Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India (TAPI) and electricity transmission line projects.

"These projects offer enormous opportunities for our region and our two countries," said Dar.

Last year, Pakistan and Turkmenistan inked a "joint implementation plan" to execute TAPI project.

The much-delayed project had initially been signed in 2010 but was stalled because of technical and financial complications and disagreements, mainly between archrivals Pakistan and India.

Meredov, who arrived along with his delegation on Monday on his three-day visit to Islamabad, said they also discussed to develop modern infrastructure along east, west and north, south corridors.

He called his visit to Islamabad "fruitful" and added enhancement of cooperation will be beneficial for the two countries.

"We also discussed in detail the implementation of the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India transnational gas pipeline project, power transmission lines and fiber optic communications along the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan route," he said.

He added that both sides agreed to make joint efforts to implement these projects and enhance economic cooperation.

The top diplomats also discussed the regional and global issues of mutual concerns including situation in Afghanistan and Indian-administered Jammu and Kahsmir.

Meredov, later, met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the latter's office, said an official statement.

Sharif invited the Turkmen companies to benefit from the "promising" investment climate of Pakistan, and reaffirmed Islamabad's commitment for "early" completion of multi-billion dollars Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India gas pipeline project.

The $7 billion project aims to bring natural gas from the Gylkynish and adjacent gas fields in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.