Turkmenistan and Iraq on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on supplying natural gas to Iraqi electrical power stations, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reports, with reference to the Ministry of Electricity of Iraq.
According to the statement by the ministry, Minister of Electricity of Iraq Ziad Ali Fadel held a meeting with the Chairman of the Türkmengaz State Concern Maksat Babayev at the ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad that resulted in the signing of the MOU to supply gas to meet the needs of power production stations and the electrical system.
On the same day, Maksat Babayev also met with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani. The meeting included discussions on expanding joint cooperation in the oil and energy sector, according to the statement by the Ministry of Oil of Iraq.
Abdul Ghani said the government and the ministry are keen to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation with Turkmenistan in the field of oil and energy. He pointed out the importance of cooperation in the field of supplying gas to electric power plants, and that signing the memorandum of understanding is an important step to enhance opportunities for cooperation.
Maksat Babayev expressed his happiness for the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and stated that the signing of the memorandum of understanding to supply gas to Iraq is the beginning towards increasing the prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
In turn, the Iraqi Deputy Minister of Oil Izzat Saber, said, “The signing of this memorandum and agreement with Turkmenistan is the result of the intensive efforts made by the joint ministerial team between the Ministries of oil and electricity during the last period, including holding intensive discussions and meetings during its visit to Turkmenistan in August.”
In August, representatives of Türkmengaz State Concern and representatives of the Iraqi Government signed a preliminary agreement in Ashgabat that envisages gas imports from Turkmenistan to Iraq for energy production purposes.