President Berdymukhamedov indicated the priority that Turkmenistan attaches to the diversification of its energy export routes and the need to secure stable and reliable transit to support this goal. The President informed the Secretary General about Turkmenistan's plans to promote the establishment of international legal principles and norms concerning energy transit and sustainable development under the auspices of the United Nations. Amb. Mernier welcomed Turkmenistan's important initiative and indicated that the Energy Charter, as the primary international legal framework for energy transit issues, could make a leading contribution to the development of a global legal framework for energy transit.

The meeting with President Berdymukhamedov took place in connection with an international conference devoted to the issue of energy transit and its role in sustainable development, convened on the basis of the UN resolution initiated by Turkmenistan. In his keynote presentation at the conference, Amb. Mernier noted that

"the issue of transit of energy resources is crucial. Its growing importance is based upon increasing energy interdependence in the context of rising pressure on world energy supplies. Given the global distribution of energy resources, current technologies and projections of demand, the priority for policymakers should be on how to manage interdependence and supply most effectively; on creating functioning and balanced international frameworks that can mitigate the associated risks."

The Secretary General also noted that

"the promotion of reliable transit of energy products is a key component of the Energy Charter Treaty. Together with investment protection and arbitration, transit represents one of the 'three pillars' of the Treaty. [...] The Treaty demonstrates that it is possible to bring a large and diverse group of countries together within a legally binding international framework on the basis of common principles and mutual interest."

Amb. Mernier outlined the range of initiatives already underway within the Energy Charter Process designed to promote the reliable transit of energy products. These include the consultations on the draft Transit Protocol, studies of transportation and transit tariffs, the activities of the Task Force on Regional Electricity Cooperation in Central and South Asia, and work on model cross-border energy infrastructure agreements. Together these activities suggest that the Energy Charter could play a stronger role in Turkmenistan's efforts to promote its energy security and that the Energy Charter Treaty can provide a foundation for the proposed discussion on transit issues within the context of the United Nations.