CAREC’s Energy Sector Coordinating Committee meeting opens in Ashgabat

The Energy Sector Coordinating Committee of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program (the Asian Development Bank) has started its meeting at the Ýyldyz Hotel in Ashgabat. 

Among those in attendance were representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Japan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, UNDP, and USAID. 

The meeting focused on the current areas of CAREC’s activities, introduction of high technology in the energy sector, an overview of the action plan, and preparation of the energy sector growth forecasts in the Central Asian region and worldwide. 

Not only does the representative forum ongoing in our country offer an opportunity to discuss key issues in the field, it also showcases Turkmenistan’s growing reputation. Our country has served as an important meeting ground for discussing prospects of international cooperation in a regional and global context, including in the energy sector. 

The countries participating in the CAREC Program have highly praised our country’s plans and specific steps, aimed to increase energy supplies and diversify export routes. 

Turkmenistan has drawn up and adopted the 2013-2020 Turkmenistan’s Power Industry Development Conception. As part of the Program, six gas-turbine power plants have been built in the past five years; a 1,574-MW combined cycle power plant is currently being constructed at a rapid pace. At the same time, efforts are being made to create a circular energy system in the country to improve consumer services and mutual redundancy of grid sectors. 

On March 8, 2018, the UN Security Council adopted the Resolution on extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which highlights the importance of the Turkmenistan’s international initiatives in the field of transport and communications, particularly the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the Kerki-Imamnazar-Aqina railway and the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey corridor projects. 

The UN Security Council urged the Community of Nations to support the projects and assist in their implementation. Thus, Turkmenistan’s active stand on the promotion of regional and interregional cooperation has been vigorously supported by the UN, and has proved once again that the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov-initiated massive long-term projects are of high value to the world. 

On February 23, the groundbreaking ceremonies formally launched the construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline project and a new power line. Not only will the power line supply energy to the gas pipeline to infrastructure facilities, it will also ensure energy exports to Pakistan and other South Asian countries via Afghanistan. A fiber-optic communication line, which is being constructed along the same route, will contribute to developing the information and communications system between the three countries and will speed up integration processes in this part of the Asian region. 

The TAPI gas pipeline, which starts at the Galkynysh gas field, the world’s second-largest gas field, will help to effectively tackle topical social issues and strengthen peace and stability in the region. It will also create new jobs. The Asian Development Bank actively participates and assists in the large-scale project. 

Meeting participants expressed confidence that the Ashgabat meeting would lend new impetus to closer and more effective cooperation within the CAREC Program. 

On March 14, the CAREC’s Energy Sector Coordinating Committee meeting will continue its work in Ashgabat.