ASKHABAT - President Saparmurat Turkmenbasi of Turkmenistan has said that he had expended great efforts for transfer of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey.
Turkmenbasi received Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler at the Presidential Palace in Turkmenistan on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Turkmenbasi said, ''I didn't give natural gas to Turkey, but I will bring one or two million people from Turkey to Turkmenistan each year. I will have them settle in the shoe of the Caspian Sea, Karakum region and feet of mountains.'' Meanwhile, Guler said, ''we are pleased to see you in Turkey.''
Noting that Turkish businessmen had made great investments in several fields in Turkmenistan, Turkmenbasi said, ''they serve their motherland.''
Meanwhile, Guler said that he had come to Turkmenistan to affirm their determination for purchase of electricity and natural gas.
Stressing that they focused especially on natural gas, Guler said that both Turkey and the European Union needed natural gas, adding that Turkey had position of a corridor country and they wanted to act rapidly in field of natural gas.
Later, Guler and Turkmenbasi signed a protocol on increase of electricity transferred from Turkmenistan to Turkey and decrease in prices.
After the meeting, Guler told reporters that he had been holding meetings on increase in Turkmen electricity that was transferred to Turkey via Iran and on natural gas issue.
Guler said that they had agreed to decrease price of 3.45 U.S. dollars for each 100 kWh electricity to 3.35 U.S. dollars.
Guler will return to Turkey late on Wednesday.
(MS-AÖ) 18.02.2004