French company to upgrade Ashgabat's power system.

ASHGABAT, July 28 (Itar-Tass) -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdymukhamedov met with French company Schneider Electric CEO Henri
Lachmann on Wednesday, July 27, to discuss projects aimed at upgrading of
Ashgabat's power system.
The projects were worked out and presented by the French company for
the Turkmen president, the presidential press service said.
"A developed and modern power industry is an important and inalienable
part of the national economy of Turkmenistan," Berdymukhamedov said.
He stressed his country's interest in innovative technologies
possessed by leading international companies.
Berdymukhamedov and Lachmann discussed Schneider Electric's proposals
how to ensure continues and fault-free power supplies to Ashgabat and
modernise the whole power system in Turkmenistan.
The Turkmen leader welcomed the French company's plans to open its
representative office in Ashgabat, where it will train and retrain
specialists and develop new projects.
According to Turkmenistan's economic development strategy, national
power generation should increase to 26.38 billion kilowatt-hour by 2020
and the export of electricity should reach 6 billion kilowatt-hour
annually.