The Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, Guvanch Agajanov, had a meeting with Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Gismet Gezalov, to talk energy.
Just days earlier, the National Leader of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov formally inaugurated the fourth phase of development at the Galkynysh gas field in the Mary region — a ceremony attended by Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and a host of regional energy executives.
Among the foreign delegations was one led by SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf, who took part in the related events. For Baku, participation at a Chinese-Turkmen celebration was a deliberate signal of interest.
The Galkynysh field, located in eastern Turkmenistan, is considered the world’s second-largest gas field, with reserves estimated between 4 and 14 trillion cubic meters. The fourth development phase — signed in a contract between Turkmengaz and CNPC in March — is a serious undertaking. The project involves drilling 30 production wells, constructing a gas processing plant with a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year.
Azerbaijan’s presence at the ceremony, followed swiftly by this week’s diplomatic meeting in Ashgabat, hints at wider prospects. In their talks, both sides discussed the current situation and future prospects of economic and energy cooperation, particularly in the oil and gas sector, with the importance of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission highlighted as a key mechanism for deepening ties.
The subtext is the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, designed to carry Turkmen gas under the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and onward through Turkey into Europe.
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, noted that the country is considering the possibility of exporting natural gas to Europe via Azerbaijan. /// nCa, 24 April 2026