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Turkmenistan looks for gas partners

Oil&Gas Materials 4 July 2015 07:33 (UTC +04:00)
The visit of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov to Georgia took place July 2.
Turkmenistan looks for gas partners

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 3

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

The visit of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov to Georgia took place July 2.

This visit was not announced in advance and, therefore, was somewhat unexpected. However, at the same time, in the light of events unfolding in recent months, the Turkmen-Georgian meeting at the highest level was expected.

In recent months, negotiations on deliveries of Turkmen gas to Europe have notably intensified. The initiators of this activization are both Turkmenistan, which has repeatedly expressed its interest in exporting its gas to the European market, and the EU, which actively seeks alternative sources of gas in the light of tensions with its main supplier, Russia. The determination of the parties in this matter is so great that vice president of the European Commission's energy union Maros Sefcovic said at the last talks in early May in Ashgabat that the EU intends to get Turkmen gas already in 2019.

However, the implementation of these plans requires not only the willingness and efforts of the EU and Turkmenistan, but also the consent and participation of the transit countries, in particular Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. Georgia has long been aside from the negotiations on deliveries of Turkmen gas to Europe. Now, however, when the work on the construction of infrastructure of the Southern Gas Corridor from Baku to Southeastern Europe began, the European dream of Turkmen gas increasingly becomes real, and it is necessary to start working closely with all the constituent units of this project, including Georgia.

At the last talks between Turkmenistan, the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkey in Ashgabat on deliveries of Turkmen gas to Europe it was decided to invite Georgia to participate in the next negotiations. It seems that the president of Turkmenistan decided to discuss the matter with the Georgian leadership in the bilateral format in advance and get its support in this project.

It is therefore quite natural that energy cooperation and the establishment of the South Caucasus energy corridor was one of the main topics of the talks by Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov in Georgia. Evaluating the statements of Georgian officials, one can conclude that the purpose of the visit of president of Turkmenistan to Georgia was reached.

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said that "this cooperation is beneficial" not only for Georgia and Turkmenistan, but also for "the entire region and for many countries in Eurasia."

"Our joint transit and energy projects will make it possible to transit Turkmen energy resources to the European markets," the Georgian president said.

A joint statement of the two presidents notes "importance of balanced policy of Turkmenistan, which is directed towards diversification of supply routes of its natural gas to the world markets."

"The Presidents emphasized especially on the importance of supply of energy resources from the Caspian Sea to Europe," the joint statement reads.

However, the readiness of Georgia to support the intention of Turkmenistan is hardly worth a doubt. Georgia has always been interested in the development of its transit potential, and the transit of Turkmen energy resources to Europe will further strengthen its role.

Edited by CN

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Elena Kosolapova is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova

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