Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has received India's newly appointed Ambassador Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat, who presented her credentials, local television channel Altyn Asyr reports.
"There are great opportunities and potential for building a mutually beneficial partnership on a long-term basis, primarily in the fields of energy and transport." In this context, the importance of realising the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline project was noted.
"Its implementation will contribute to the development of the economies of the participating countries, creation of new jobs, construction of social and industrial infrastructure facilities, attraction of large foreign investments."
The Indian foreign ministry had earlier said that the diplomat had until recently served as high commissioner to Cyprus. She has also served in Russia, Kazakhstan, Sweden and Turkey.
India considers Turkmenistan part of its "extended neighbourhood" and established diplomatic relations in 1992. The Indian President made his first state visit to Turkmenistan in April 2022.
The two countries are involved in the TAPI gas pipeline project, which began in 2015. The project could provide India's growing economy with its first transnational gas pipeline.
In addition, Turkmenistan last year joined India's North-South International Transport Corridor, initiated in 2000, which could reduce the time and cost of transport between the world's major markets. Experts told Daryo that the inclusion of Turkmenbashi port and the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway line in the project will improve transport links between the regions.
India's main exports to the local market are pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, sugar, meat, electronics, machinery, clothing and tyres. Turkmenistan's main exports to India are fertilisers, inorganic minerals, chemicals and dyes.
Eziz Boyarov
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