India, Turkmenistan ink MOU on programme of cooperation

Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Sep.18 (ANI): India and Turkmenistan on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a programme of cooperation.

The bilateral agreement was signed after delegation-level talks between visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna and his Turkmenistan counterpart Rashid Meredov

Both Krishna and Meredov signed the MOU.

Krishna also called on the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Malikgulievich Berdimuhamedov, during which he offered India's assistance to Turkmenistan in the hydrocarbon sector by way of using the expertise of Indian companies in the sector.

President Berdimuhamedov indicated that India should tap its gas resources through Iran as it can be a good alternative without waiting for the much awaited TAPI gas pipeline project (Tuekmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India). Krishna accepted the idea and promised to work on it more seriously.

India gives high priority to the gas pipeline to meet its energy requirements and is keen to have such ties with Turkmenistan. By Ravi Shankar (ANI)