ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, December 11. Iraqi
President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid arrived in Ashgabat on December
10 to participate in events marking the 30th anniversary of
Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, Trend reports via the press service of the
Turkmen President.
The forum, set to take place on December 12, will bring together
global leaders and experts to discuss strategies for strengthening
international cooperation, promoting peace, and fostering mutual
trust. Among the various discussions expected to take place, a key
focus will be the potential for advancing Iraq-Turkmenistan
relations, particularly through collaborative projects related to
Turkmen gas exports to Iraq. These talks are viewed as an
opportunity to further develop energy cooperation and deepen
bilateral ties between the two nations.
A significant component of the discussions will center around a
trilateral swap mechanism, previously announced by Iraq’s Ministry
of Electricity, in which Turkmenistan will supply gas to northern
Iran, and in return, Iran will deliver an equivalent volume of gas
to Iraq. This arrangement, made possible through prior coordination
between the relevant authorities of Iraq and Turkmenistan, aims to
address the ongoing shortfall in Iranian gas deliveries that have
negatively impacted electricity generation, particularly during
peak demand periods.
This initiative is part of Iraq’s broader strategy to stabilize
its energy sector and ensure a reliable electricity supply. While
the foundational framework for this arrangement has been
established, a formal contract between Iraq and Turkmenistan is
still under negotiation. Concurrently, Iraqi authorities are
working to finalize the necessary financial procedures to
facilitate payments within the mutual settlement structure, thus
laying the groundwork for the eventual operational implementation
of the project.
