OREANDA-NEWS. November 23, 2009. The ceremony of closing the 14th International Exhibition Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan-2009 and the scientific conference on Development of Oil and Gas Industry in Turkmenistan and International Cooperation in the Epoch of New Revival was held at the Exhibition Centre in Ashgabat. It can be said that this large-scale forum organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Oil and Gas and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan in partnership with the British company Summit Trade Events Ltd., achieve its goal. During three days the participants of the exhibition and conference exchanged views and had fruitful discussions on the ways and forms of mutually advantageous partnership.

This year, despite global economic crisis worldwide interest in Turkmenistan’s energy projects initiated by the Turkmen has not only decreased but has risen considerably. The delegates from 35 countries including the United States, Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran, China, Malaysia, Japan and many other states arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the prestigious forum. Over 200 world-renowned companies, foreign governments and international organisations were represented at the forum.

Among 55 speakers and distinguished guests of the conference represented the U.S. Department of State, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, the International Energy Agency, the Ministries of Energy of Russia and Kazakhstan, the British Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the International Gas Union, the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the well-known foreign companies – BP, OMV, Shell, Chevron, Total, ExxonMobil, Statoil, Nabucco Gas Pipeline, RWE, Keppel, Weatherford, Conoco-Fillips, Gaffney Cline Associates, KazMunaiGaz and others.

It was noted that the dynamic development of the national economy, successful implementation of the large-scale social and economic reforms launched in the epoch of New Revival, the favourable investment climate, pragmatic energy strategy along with abundant hydrocarbon reserves enable Turkmenistan to remain a dependable and attractive partner for many foreign countries and oil and gas companies.

The agenda of the conference focused on the issues of development of international cooperation, attraction of foreign investments and advanced technologies in exploration and development of oil and gas fields, the processing sector, new infrastructure fuel and energy projects in Turkmenistan.

The reports highlighted unquestionable recognition of the Turkmenistan’s role in ensuring reliable and stable transit of energy to world markets. In this regard the exceptionally advantageous geographical location of our country and the strategy for diversifying energy exports successfully implemented on the initiative of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov opened up the vast opportunities for long-term exports of Turkmen natural gas to Europe and Asia.

The high demand for Turkmen energy in the East Asian region is proved by the fact that the Turkmenistan-China and Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipelines will be put into operation this December. The growing demand for Turkmen ‘blue fuel’ by European consumers is evidenced by the predicated gas imports rates in Europe until 2030 presented at the forum as well as the willingness of the leading Western companies to establish long-term partnership with Turkmenistan. The experts of the International Gas Union, the International Energy Agency, OMV, RWE and other companies said that they viewed close and mutually advantageous cooperation as a guarantee of stable and reliable transit of energy to European consumers.

To achieve these goals the foreign companies stood ready to offer Turkmen partners advanced technologies in exploration and development of hard-to-get-to fields onshore and in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea, deep hydrocarbon processing, development of new energy export routes of to the markets of the European Union.

The format of the exhibition and conference allowed discussing the important aspects of cooperation during the discussions, presentations and numerous business meetings held by the foreign businessmen and the high-ranking officials of the Turkmen oil and gas departments and corporations during those days.