President Saparmurat Niyazov and a group of Canadian businessmen headed by Canadian ex-prime minister Jean Chretien discussed ways of development of bilateral partnership at a meeting yesterday.

As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports referring to the press service of the head of state, Jean Chretien, who is the president of Bennett Jones company, was accompanied by president of Buried Hill Energy company Rodger Haynes and CEO of Petrolium Group Shon company Mac Rory.

According to the press service, Saparmurat Niyazov emphasized in his speech that Turkmenistan is open to equal and mutually beneficial partnership and the active participation of foreign companies in implementation of hundreds of construction projects of new plants and factories, facilities for social cultural purposes is evidence to this.

Jean Chretien on behalf of Canadian business circles stated their readiness to offer their experience and latest technologies to implement investment projects in the oil and gas sector of Turkmenistan.

In this context Saparmurat Niyazov briefed the guests on the major directions of the social economic development of the country and its fuel and energy sector in particular. Touching upon the strategic tasks set before this sector, the head of state highlighted the importance of increasing output and refining of hydrocarbon resources and their transportation to world markets.

Among priority projects in this field the president called the reconstruction of the Seydi oil refinery, the project on the construction of Trans-Afghan gas pipeline and other projects. Saparmurat Niyazov invited Canadian businessmen to take part in these large-scale projects, suggesting considering joint exploration of oil fields in the west of Turkmenistan, including on the shelf of the Caspian Sea.