The Chinese side has won an international tender for the development of the fourth phase of the major Galkynysh gas field, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced on Tuesday during a meeting with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to official Turkmen media.

President Berdimuhamedov also stated that a draft framework agreement outlining the key principles of gas cooperation between Turkmenistan and China has been prepared. The future partnership will be based on the provisions of this document, he noted.

During the meeting, both sides emphasized that the gas sector remains a strategic area of bilateral economic cooperation. The Turkmenistan–China gas pipeline has been operating successfully for over fifteen years. The two countries are actively working to deepen their collaboration in the gas industry and are achieving concrete results.

President Xi Jinping expressed China’s appreciation for its energy partnership with Turkmenistan, calling it a great honor. He thanked the Turkmen side for the support and favorable conditions provided to Chinese partners. The Chinese leader also highlighted ongoing work related to the implementation of the bilateral agreement in the natural gas sector.

Galkynysh is one of the largest gas fields in both Turkmenistan and the world. Combined with the adjacent Yashlar and Garakel fields, the total estimate reserves of natural gas at Galkynysh are approximately 27.4 trillion cubic meters.