On 26 March 2025, the 10th meeting of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation between Armenia and Turkmenistan took place in Yerevan. David Khudatyan, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, and Batyr Amanov, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, co-chaired the session.
A protocol was signed following the meeting, establishing the framework and goals for joint actions between the two countries to expand and deepen bilateral partnership and cooperation in various fields.
During the meeting, discussions focused on cooperation between the countries in trade, economy, energy, education, science, culture, and sports.
Here is a summary of the discussions that took place during the meeting, based on the reports of the “Armenpress” news agency:
Turkmenistan places great importance on deepening cooperation with Armenia in various fields, says Batyr Amanov
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, Batyr Amanov (oil and gas), emphasized the importance of developing and strengthening cooperation between Ashgabat and Yerevan in various areas. He stressed that the level and scale of partnership between the two countries are gradually increasing.
“The main products exported from Turkmenistan to Armenia are textiles and light industry. Chemical industry, pharmaceutical products, agricultural products, as well as precious metals are mainly exported from Armenia to Turkmenistan,” Amanov said, expressing confidence that Armenia and Turkmenistan have every opportunity to increase the volume of mutual trade.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan noted that bilateral relations are also developing in the humanitarian fields, such as education, science, sports, and culture. He mentioned that Turkmen students are studying in higher educational institutions in Armenia.
Batyr Amanov highlighted the cooperation between scientists from Armenia and Turkmenistan, particularly in the fields of seismology and physics.
Armenia sees the need to expand trade and economic ties with Turkmenistan
According to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia David Khudatyan, the current level of trade and economic relations between Armenia and Turkmenistan does not fully reflect the full potential of both countries and it is obvious that there is a need to expand bilateral cooperation.
According to the data provided by the minister, in 2024, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by only $ 1 million compared to 2023, amounting to $22 million.
In January 2025, the trade amounted to $2.3 million, with an increase of 2.2 times compared to the same period last year.
Khudatyan noted that there are also prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of transport, energy and information technology, science, education, culture, sports and others.
In this regard, the Minister mentioned the “Crossroads of the World” infrastructure program for the South Caucasus, promoted by the Armenian government, which involves the creation and modernization of a number of transport and communication routes. He stressed that this project also aims to create favorable conditions between all stakeholders.
Armenia intends to import Turkmen gas by swap through Iran
Armenia and Turkmenistan are negotiating a deal to supply Turkmen gas to Armenia through Iran on swap basis. This was stated by Advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia Artashes Tumanyan.
According to Tumanyan, over the past few years, Armenian delegations have made several visits to Turkmenistan, during which they discussed a number of projects related to energy and various related fields.
“The essence of the program is as follows: to make a purchase from Turkmengaz, organize its exchange through Iran under the swap scheme and deliver it to the Iranian-Armenian border,” Tumanyan said.
He added that since Iran is one of the important key participants in the project, negotiations were also held with Tehran, as a result of which Iran agreed to implement the project.
Armenia intends to purchase between 600 million and 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas. However, as the Prime Minister’s advisor emphasized, gas price negotiations are still ongoing and have yet to be finalized.
Furthermore, discussions have explored the potential for exporting Turkmen gas through Armenia to Georgia, also utilizing a swap arrangement. Georgia has expressed positive interest in this prospect. “If this concept is realized,” Artashes Tumanyan stated, “it would open avenues for Turkmen gas to reach countries within the Black Sea basin. ///nCa, 27 March 2025