Till the end of 2013 or early 2014 Turkmenistan and European Union will conduct talks in Ashgabad to build the trans-Caspian gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, a source close to the talks said.
For this purpose European Energy Commissar Gunter Oettinger plans to visit Turkmenistan’s capital. “At the initial stage we plan to conduct ecological expertise with participation of independent international experts,” said a source from EU.
Turkmenistan administration has repeatedly announced its readiness to conduct ecological expertise with participation of international specialists.
Russia and Iran are opposed to the trans-Caspian gas pipeline and bring up the issue of ecological safety of the pipeline. The Southern Gas Corridor, which includes the trans-Caspian project, remains the priority for Brussels. The EU summit in May 2013, where the key infrastructure energy projects for the years 2014-2020 have been approved, has confirmed that. The 300-km-long gas pipeline along the Caspian Sea bottom will connect Turkmenistan’s resources with the European markets. From Azerbaijan Turkmenistan’s hydrocarbons could be delivered to Turkey, which is bordering on the European countries. The trans-Caspian could become a part of several wide-scale projects, including AGRI and TANAP, active participants of which are Ankara and Baku.
Turkmenistan Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources Muhammetnur Halylov said at the conference “Turkmenistan Oil & Gas” in Ashgabad that in the near future his country plans to expand the geography of deliveries. “We have all favorable preconditions for that and first of all sufficient proved hydrocarbon resources evaluated by our specialists and confirmed by the international auditors,” Minister added.
At the conference the EU representatives have also expressed confidence that at the current stage favorable conditions have been created to conclude agreements for construction of the trans-Caspian gas pipeline.—0—
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