ASHGABAT (PT1) – Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday had a brief stopover en route to Russia during which she held discussions with her Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov on issues of bilateral interest.

Sushma Swaraj

Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Russia, was welcomed at Ashgabat airport by Meredov.

“Making the most of a transit stop at Ashgabat en route to Moscow”, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar reported. “Both leaders discussed issues of bilateral interest”, he tweeted.

india has particular interest in Turkmenistan’s gas reserves. Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, together known as the TAPI countries, are working on a gas pipeline which is particularly important for India’s burgeoning energy needs as on completion, the pipeline is expected to provide nearly 60% of India’s energy needs.