Dateline, Beijing: Turkmenistan energy contracts
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has signed a 30-year natural gas import contract with Turkmenistan. 30 billion cubic meters (cum) of gas will be exported from Turkmenistan via a newly-planned natural gas pipeline. Let’s hope that CNPC trains and hires local Turkmenistani workers for this multi-million dollar infrastructure project, which should begin in 2009. Almost 5,000 miles of pipeline will need to be constructed.
The deal was signed in China, where Mr. Berdymuhamedov had been on a visit from July 17th through 19th. Other agreements on energy, technology, and economic cooperation were signed by the leaders of the two states. An excerpt of the linked article follows:
During their talks, Hu put forward a five-point proposal to enhance cooperation, including:
– Promoting political trust by improving contacts at government, parliamentary and party levels, and continuing cooperation on the major issues concerning one another;
– Deepening economic and trade cooperation, by expanding cooperation on oil and gas, telecommunications, transport and textiles; — Increasing personnel exchanges, especially contacts between the youth of the two countries;
– Enhancing security cooperation to promote regional stability by working together to safeguard regional peace and stability;
– Strengthening consultation and safeguarding common interests on major regional and international issues.
Mr. Berdymukhamedov signified his interest in further cooperation on economy and trade, to agree to China’s one-state policy, and to fight “the three evil forces”.
In case you are wondering, the Three Evil Forces are terrorism, extremism, and separatism, and this concept is a cornerstone of China’s and Shanghai Cooperation Organization diplomacy.
Photo: ADB