Turkmenistan is ready for mutually beneficial cooperation with Italy in the field of hydrogen energy, President of Turkmenistan’s Serdar Berdimuhamedov said on Friday at the first “Central Asia – Italy” summit held in Astana, as reported by Turkmenistan’s state news agency.

President Berdimuhamedov emphasized that natural gas will remain the primary source for hydrogen production in the coming decades, and Turkmenistan, with its vast energy reserves, intends to actively develop partnership projects in this area.

During his speech, Berdimuhamedov also highlighted the significance of Turkmenistan’s policy of permanent neutrality and announced an international forum on peace and trust to be held in Ashgabat on December 12, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the country’s neutrality. He invited all attending heads of state and government to participate in the event.

Among priority areas for economic partnership, Turkmen President named energy, transport, industry, finance, and the private sector, as well as new fields such as digitalization, green technologies, and artificial intelligence.

“Turkmenistan, possessing colossal natural gas reserves, is implementing a policy to diversify export routes to international markets. In this regard, we attach great importance to projects aimed at delivering Turkmen gas to Europe,” the president said.

Turkmenistan also expressed readiness to cooperate on environmental and climate issues, particularly in energy efficiency, rational use of water resources, and the adoption of resource-saving technologies.

President Berdimuhamedov recalled more than 30 years of Italian archaeological research in Turkmenistan and announced plans to hold an exhibition in Rome dedicated to the cultural heritage of Bronze Age Margiana and the Parthian Kingdom.

In conclusion, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to further expanding bilateral ties with Italy and strengthening cooperation in multilateral formats.