Turkmenistan proposes to hold OSCE forum on energy security in Ashgabat

Turkmenistan has proposed holding a summit in Ashgabat under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to discuss issues related to energy security, the Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary state information service said.
The initiative was voiced by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who is on an official visit in the country on February 12-14. This year Ukraine is chairing the OSCE.
According to the information, the Turkmen leader expressed the belief that Turkmen-Ukrainian cooperation will be further developed within other authoritative international organisations and in particular OSCE, chaired by Ukraine this year.
Ashgabat puts forward a number of initiatives to ensure reliable and stable supply of energy resources to the world markets as set out in a UN General Assembly special resolution adopted in December 2008.
"The active support of the resolution by Ukraine, who was among its first co-authors, clearly demonstrated the commonality of views between the two countries on energy security issue and their willingness to work together on this fundamental issue," Turkmen president said.
Ashgabat believes that a stable international energy supply should be one of the answers to modern global challenges.
"Such an approach to the issue meets the long term interests of global development and therefore is more relevant than ever for the international community," Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper quoted the Turkmen leader as saying.
Turkmenistan joined OSCE on January 30, 1992. The OSCE centre has been operating in Ashgabat since then. In recent years several major international forums were held in Ashgabat, including on energy security.
Ashgabat believes it is relevant to strengthen energy dialogue within OSCE and formulate mechanisms of multilateral consultations on political, financial, economic, technological and environmental aspects of construction and operation of multiple pipeline infrastructures.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world for natural gas reserves. A gas pipeline to China was commissioned in the country in December 2009. An additional branch to Iran was put into operation in January 2010, which expanded the market for the supply of Turkmen energy resources, which ended in Russia.