Turkmenistan's energy minister, Tachberdy Tagyiev, will travel to China on Sunday to finalize the details of a big gas deal, the official Neitralny Turkmenistan daily reported on Friday.
"The sides will resolve questions relating to the implementation of agreements signed by the heads of state" of China and Turkmenistan last week in China, the newspaper said.
The deal signed by presidents Hu Jintao of China and Gurbanguly
Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan on July 18 envisages annual gas deliveries to China of 30 billion cubic meters (1.1 trillion cubic feet).
The leaders also agreed to build a pipeline linking the two countries, although details of the route have not yet been released.
The forthcoming talks will also address a production-sharing agreement between Turkmenistan and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the development of the Bagtyiarlyk gas field in northwest Turkmenistan.
No details have been given as to the size of the reserves.
Turkmenistan's estimated 2.1 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves have attracted the attention of a number of countries, including the United States.
(AFX News, 27/07/2007)