Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 9
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
The Energy Charter Forum opened in Ashgabat December 9 is dedicated to the topic of "Reliable and stable transit of energy", the organizers of the event - Secretariat of the Energy Charter and the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said.
"The purpose of the forum is to stimulate the political discussion of the role of transit in realizing the broad opportunities for energy trade, especially, natural gas trade on the Eurasian continent," the Energy Charter press release says.
The agenda includes the discussion of the possibilities of energy trade in the region and their role in the diversification of sources and supply routes.
The participants will analyze the means of facilitating the investments in cross-border pipeline projects, as well as legal and operational aspects of the cross-border energy infrastructure.
As a major regional exporter of natural gas, Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the reliable and stable transit of energy and its role in sustainable development and international cooperation. At the initiative of Turkmenistan, the UN General Assembly adopted the second resolution in this area in May 2013.
The Secretary-General of the Energy Charter Urban Rusnak met with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat in early 2014. Rusnak said that European countries consider Turkmenistan as one of the most promising and reliable suppliers of natural gas and are ready to discuss the specific relevant areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Turkmenistan is one of the key players on the energy market in the Caspian region and Central Asia. It supplies gas to China, Iran and Russia. Turkmenistan with its gas reserves ranks fourth in the world. It is looking for new markets in Europe and Asia. The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline through Azerbaijan and Turkey are among the planned gas pipelines from Turkmenistan.
Ashgabat proposed to begin working out the universal mechanisms as part of the UN that would ensure safe and reliable operation of the international energy infrastructure taking into account the interests of the producing countries, transit countries and gas consumers.
edited by CN