On the afternoon of October 21, the International Conference “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan 2026” commenced its proceedings at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.

Prior to the opening of the forum, attendees listened with great interest to the Welcoming Address from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the participants of the International Conference and Exhibition “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan 2026”.

As noted in the Address of the Head of State, “This forum, which is held annually in keeping with established tradition, will provide an opportunity to exchange views on priority areas for the development of our country’s fuel and energy complex, ways to enhance mutually beneficial partnerships and modern methods for modernizing the oil and gas industry.”

The Head of State expressed firm confidence that “this year’s high-level event, the international conference and exhibition being held for the 31st time, will be of great significance for exchanging expertise between domestic specialists and international partners and for establishing and fostering broad cooperation in the future.”

The conference is being attended by representatives from government agencies, national and international oil and gas companies, financial institutions and investors.

The forum opened with a plenary session entitled “Turkmenistan’s Energy Strategy: Regional Connectivity and International Cooperation.”

Speaking at the opening of the plenary session, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Guvanch Agajanov outlined the strategic priorities for the country’s fuel and energy sector.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the phased development of the super-giant Galkynyş gas field remains one of the key priorities of Turkmenistan’s energy policy. In April 2026, the large-scale fourth phase of the project was officially launched; it is state-funded and is currently being actively advanced with the participation of the Chinese company CNPC.

As previously noted, the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline also remains a top priority. A key section, stretching from Serhetabat in Turkmenistan to the Afghan province of Herat, is nearing completion.

Guvanch Agajanov highlighted the expansion of cooperation with Malaysia as a significant development this year. In June 2026, a new production sharing agreement (PSA) for offshore blocks was signed. The Malaysian company Petronas has already begun practical work on this project.

Expressing his gratitude to international partners, investors and leading global energy companies for their mutually beneficial cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Turkmenistan remains open to new major initiatives and is prepared to further expand multilateral dialogue within the energy sector.

This session also featured speeches from the Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation of Malaysia Akmal Nasrullah bin Mohd Nasir, the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Xiaoqun Grace Wang, the President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) Rovshan Najaf, the CEO of PETRONAS (Turkmenistan) Mohd Jukris Abdul Wahab, the Senior Vice President at ADNOC Abdulla Al Shamsi and the CEO of Dragon Oil Abdulkarim Al-Maazmi.

The plenary session, entitled “The Future of Global Energy: Projects, Technologies, and Development,” focused on transforming Turkmenistan’s energy priorities into concrete investment projects, introducing technologies and establishing long-term commercial partnerships. Ministers and senior executives from national and international energy companies explored opportunities in natural gas production development, infrastructure, regional energy connectivity, technology and investment.

Speakers in this session included the State Minister of Turkmenistan – Chairman of the Türkmengaz State Concern Maksat Babayev, the Executive Director of the Global Gas Centre (GGC) Valérie Ducrot, the Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Kamal Abbasov, the Chairman of the Board and General Manager of BOTAŞ Abdulvahit Fidan, the General Manager of CNPC International Ltd. in Turkmenistan Du Yuming and representatives from ADNOC and S&P Global.

A key theme during the first day of the forum was the diversification of gas export routes, including the implementation of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline project. The program also covered the phased development of the Galkynyş gas field, the advancement of deep hydrocarbon processing and the construction of modern gas-chemical complexes.

On Thursday, October 22, the conference delegates will continue their work.