The official opening ceremony of the international conference «TAPI – the Pipeline for Peace and Cooperation» and the roadshow «Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan» took place in the conference hall «Al Maha» of the Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights Hotel.

Yagshigeldy Kakaev, Advisor to the President of Turkmenistan on Oil and Gas Issues, addressed the delegates with a welcoming speech. Noting the role of Turkmenistan’s neutrality as an effective mechanism for establishing fruitful cooperation in addressing pressing issues, strengthening the friendly, good neighborly relations between states and peoples, Yagshigeldy Kakaev urged potential investors for mutually beneficial cooperation. The speaker stressed that the stable economic and political situation in the country, as well as the legislative framework and state guarantee are among the main factors that make Turkmenistan increasingly attractive for foreign investors. The participants were also familiarized with a detailed overview of the achievements of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan and plans and projects of the oil and gas sector of Turkmenistan for the near future.

Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the UAE Serdarmamet Garajayev noted the importance of the current event for the Turkmen-Emirati relations and expressed confidence that the «open door» policy of Turkmenistan and its neutral status will continue to promote the comprehensive development of international cooperation.

Saeed Al Tayer, representative of the sponsor of the plenary session, Dragon Oil Board Chairman, welcoming the guests, stressed the productivity of cooperation between the UAE and Turkmenistan in the oil and gas sector and expressed hope for further long-term cooperation, paying special attention to safety.

Ajmal Ahmady, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, dedicated his speech to the significance of the TAPI gas pipeline for Afghanistan’s economic development, noting the Afghan government’s readiness to fulfill its commitments on the project.

Delegates could learn in detail about the construction progress, economic and political impact, advantages and peculiarities of the TAPI gas pipeline from the presentation of Muhammetmyrat Amanov, CEO TAPI Pipeline Ltd, which provided statistics on TAPI in various aspects.