Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 6
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Turkey intend to discuss the prospects of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline construction.
The negotiations are planned to be held at a high level in Turkmenistan this autumn, a source close to the negotiations told Trend.
Proceeding from the Turkmen media, the issue has been recently discussed at the governmental meeting.
"While discussing the preparation for the forthcoming trilateral meeting, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed its importance for the further strengthening of the traditional relations of friendship and mutually beneficial partnership among the three countries and nations," Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper wrote Sept. 5.
"Turkmen, Turkish and Azerbaijani people are united by the centuries-old historical and cultural community and fraternal relations," Vatan newspaper quoted President Berdimuhamedov. "Today these relations are a solid foundation to intensify and expand the fruitful cooperation among our countries."
President Berdimuhamedov instructed to properly organize the meeting, designed to give a new impetus to the trilateral cooperation that meets the interests of general well-being and prosperity.
Baku, Ashgabat and Ankara are periodically discussing an opportunity of supplying the Turkmen gas to Europe. In particular, the matter rests in the ways of implementing the project of laying the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to the coast of Azerbaijan. Turkmen gas can be delivered from there to Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries of the European continent.
The Trans-Caspian pipeline could be part of several large-scale projects, including AGRI and TANAP. Azerbaijan and Turkey are active participants there.
Ashgabat believes that the consent of the sides, covered by the project, that is, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, is sufficient for laying the pipe through the bottom of the Caspian Sea, the legal status of which has not been defined.
In its turn, Azerbaijan expressed its readiness to deliver its territory, transit opportunities and infrastructure for the project implementation. SOCAR representatives stated about this.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth for the volume of natural gas reserve in the world after Russia, Iran and Qatar, according to the report of British Petroleum (BP) company.
The country's largest fields are concentrated in the Mary province in the country's east - around the Galkynysh field - with total resources estimated by local geologists and British GCA within 26.2 trillion cubic meters.