Strengthening Ties: Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia Praise Bilateral Cooperation

Turkmenistan’s national leader and former president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have hailed “effective” bilateral cooperation.

As part of a working visit to Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedow said at a meeting with the Saudi prime minister that his country was “developing equal and constructive cooperation with all countries in the world, including those in the Arab world. The relations with Saudi Arabia, which has become traditional already, are a clear example of this,” the Turkmen state news agency TDH reported on December 4.

For his part, the crown prince said that Saudi Arabia was “committed to the traditional friendly relations and fruitful partnership with Turkmenistan.”

During the discussion of the future Turkmen-Saudi partnership, the sides confirmed that they intended to strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations and expand cooperation in the energy, transport, and communications sectors.

Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia have some of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves. Turkmenistan is among the top four countries in the world, along with Russia, Iran, and Qatar, in terms of natural gas reserves. Turkmenistan has 13.6 trillion cubic meters (tcm) of proven gas reserves, while Saudi Arabia has 6.8 tcm. Saudi Arabia is considered the eighth-largest producer of natural gas and has the eighth-largest proven gas reserves in the world.

The Saudi Development Fund began allocating funds for the purchase of pipes to be used in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India transnational gas pipeline’s (TAPI) construction as early as November 2017. Additionally, the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank approved a loan worth $700 million for Turkmenistan for its portion of TAPI. Turkmenistan’s national gas company, Turkmengaz, the largest of its kind in Central Asia, also signed a contract with the Saudi-German joint venture Global Pipe Company for supplying pipe products worth $40 million.

Berdimuhamedow, who arrived in Saudi Arabia on December 3 to participate in the One Water Summit, performed Umrah (small pilgrimage) to the holy Kaaba, visiting Makkah at the beginning of the visit. The One Water Summit, organized by the governments of France, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia, was held within the framework of COP-16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh. It aimed to contribute to the ongoing United Nations discussions and processes to enhance global water governance and prepare for the next UN Water Conference in 2026.

Addressing the summit, Berdimuhamedow pointed to water challenges in Central Asia and proposed these three key principles: compliance with international law – the use of water resources should be regulated by UN standards; mutual consideration of interests – solutions should take into account the needs of all countries in the region; and involvement of international organizations, primarily the UN, as its engagement will strengthen the legitimacy and effectiveness of water initiatives.

As practical steps, the Turkmen national leader proposed the establishment of a UN Regional Council on Water Management in Central Asia, with headquarters in Ashgabat.

“The Council will coordinate the management of water resources and develop a legal framework for water use. Turkmenistan also calls for speeding up the adoption of the UN Conventions on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers,” he added.