Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan discussed Caspian issues and energy cooperation
On 19 February 2018, Baku hosted the first meeting of the joint working group, established on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on the future development of energy cooperation signed between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on 8 August 2017, during President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's official visit to the capital of Azerbaijan. At the current working meeting of the delegations led by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov and Chairman of the State Enterprise for Caspian Sea Issues under the President of Turkmenistan Murat Atadjanov, the prospects for the development of energy cooperation in the aspect of solving the key economic tasks of the two countries were discussed, the Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) reported. The participants of the meeting emphasized that the draft Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, which was agreed in Moscow at the end of 2017, will serve to solve the issue of mutual interest in the Caspian Sea. The sides further negotiated issues related to the division of the Caspian seabed between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as well as issues of improving the legal basis for the Caspian Sea in order to reach further agreements that will enable to unite efforts in this field and expand energy projects. The parties agreed to hold the next meeting of the joint working group on energy cooperation in Turkmenistan.
