Turkmen president, Pakistani PM discuss ways to boost energy cooperation

ASHGABAT. April 1 (Interfax) - Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed steps to intensify energy cooperation between their countries during a phone call, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said on Tuesday.

Nowadays, Turkmenistan and Pakistan are engaged in productive cooperation in all areas, developing their political, diplomatic, cultural, humanitarian, trade, economic, energy and transport ties, Berdimuhamedov and Sharif said, adding that it is important to continue to enhance this bilateral partnership.

The parties also agreed that the energy sector is a priority of bilateral cooperation, referring to the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India transnational gas pipeline, a high-voltage power transmission line, and a fiber-optic communication system from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

Reaffirming the significance of these projects, Sharif said that Pakistan is interested in further developing this cooperation.

He invited the president and the chairman of the Turkmen People's Council to visit Pakistan whenever convenient to them.

Berdimuhamedov and Sharif also congratulated each other and the peoples of the two countries on the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

During the phone call, which took place at Pakistan's initiative, the parties reaffirmed their readiness to further strengthen bilateral relations and provide comprehensive support for these efforts.