"The diversification of supply routes and their functioning should be based on clear and clear standards that take into account multilateral interests, as well as guarantees of reliability and security. It is from this position that joint initiatives on establishing cooperation on the supply of natural gas from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to Turkey and further to world markets should be considered," Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed, speaking at a meeting with Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.

Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey advocate the formation of a coordinated and multi-variant system of energy supplies to world markets, Serdar Berdimuhamedov said. He also noted the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in January 2021 between the governments of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on the joint development of the Dostluk hydrocarbon field in the Caspian Sea. "This is a completely new milestone of the bilateral energy partnership in the Caspian Sea," the Turkmen leader said.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid special attention to the prospects of energy cooperation between the three countries, noting that the coronavirus epidemic and regional instability have once again put the security of energy supply at the top of the world agenda, especially for Europe.

Among the steps taken in this direction, Erdogan singled out the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, which is the basis of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline and through which Caspian gas is transported to Europe.

"We now need to start work on the transportation of Turkmen natural gas to Western markets in the same way. We are ready to cooperate with our Turkmen and Azerbaijani brothers in the field of friendship in the Caspian Sea," the Turkish leader said.

In addition, he stated his readiness to work on a project to transfer electricity from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to Turkey.

The Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey summit was held on December 14 in Avaza, on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. The Turkmen leader called it an important event in the context of the economic partnership of the three countries.

The head of Turkmenistan also noted that over the ten months of this year, the trade turnover with Azerbaijan has increased fivefold. "This is a record figure," Aliyev added later. The volume of mutual trade with Turkey is also steadily growing between the two countries.

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