Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) (PTI): India and Turkmenistan on Saturday agreed to collaborate in the vital oil and natural gas sector with New Delhi saying the Central Asian state was its "natural partner" to meet its rising energy needs.

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in this regard that will also allow Indian companies to work with the firms here on several projects that are being planned by hydrocarbon-rich Turkmenistan in oil exploration and setting up of gas pipelines.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and Tukmenistan Deputy Prime Minister for Oil and Gas Tachberdy Tagiev inked the MoU in the presence of visiting Vice-President Hamid Ansari at a time when New Delhi was looking towards Central Asia to meet its growing energy needs.

The MoU which is expected to give a boost to Indo-Turkmen ties was the higlight of the visit of Ansari to the country which is among the top ten countries with gas reserves.

"India, with its vast requirement of energy and dependence on imports to meet it, is Turkmenistan's natural partner", Ansari said, adding Turkmenistan is geo-strategically located and with its vast hydrocarbon resources has an important role to play in world's energy security.

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov said the participation of Indian companies and enterprises in the oil-gas projects in Turkmenistan was to the benefit of both the countries.

The Vice-President thanked the Turkmen leader for "the formal support we have received about our membership in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project".