TURKMEN PRESIDENT, HEAD OF UKRAINIAN OIL, GAS COMPANY DISCUSS ENERGY COOPERATION

Excerpt from report by Turkmen TV on 15 November

[Presenter] Today Turkmenistan's president, Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the
Great [Nyyazow], met [Yuriy] Boyko, head of the Naftohaz Ukrayiny state
joint-stock company.

[Correspondent] During the course of the meeting, a strategic area of
Turkmen-Ukrainian economic relations - the current state and future of
cooperation in the gas sphere, were discussed. Outlining the high level
of mutually beneficial partnership achieved in recent years, the
[Turkmen] head of the state and the guest specifically looked at the
issue of Turkmen gas supplies to Ukraine within the framework of the
existing bilateral agreement for the period of 2002-2006.

As is known, like in previous year, this year 36bn cu. m. of
hydrocarbons [natural gas] will be supplied to that country, which makes
Ukraine the largest importer of Turkmen blue fuel [natural gas]. In this
regard, Boyko informed our President about the readiness to expand
cooperation with Turkmenistan, including in the sphere of purchasing
oil. He also informed Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great about the course
of implementation of a number of investment projects in Turkmenistan by
Ukrainian companies in exchange for "blue fuel" [natural gas] supplies.

[Passage omitted: Nyyazow praises Turkmen-Ukrainian cooperation.
Interview with Boyko praising bilateral cooperation]

[Video shows a meeting, interview with Boyko]

Source: Turkmen TV first channel, Asgabat, in Turkmen 1600 gmt 15 Nov 04

BBC Mon CAU 161104 ak/ov