ASHGABAT, July 27: Turkmenistan's energy minister, Tachberdy Tagyiev, will travel to China on Sunday to finalise 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.—AFP