Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani held an emergency meeting on Monday to find alternatives to country’s gas imports, considering imports from Turkmenistan, the IraqiNews news service reported on Tuesday, citing a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to the statement, Iraq needs more natural gas to meet the demand for electrical energy. The Iraqi government is currently taking steps to increase electricity production to 26,000 megawatts, which would be a record high for the country.
Although Iraq is working to increase its domestic gas production and is importing gas from Iran, Al-Sudani has instructed the government to explore other options and continue its efforts to import gas from Turkmenistan and Qatar.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Oil to collaborate with foreign companies to develop energy reserves and emphasized the need to speed up the completion of solar power generation projects.
Turkmenistan established diplomatic relations with Iraq in 2009. On July 25, 2017, the two countries held political consultations, where the sides discussed trade and economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian ties, and the energy sector, as reported by the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
