Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 23
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
Turkmenistan conducts fruitful negotiations with parties interested in the implementation of projects for the supply of Turkmen natural gas to Europe, Turkmen government said.
In May 2015, a quadrilateral meeting was held in Ashgabat, which was attended by heads of energy ministries of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and representatives of the European Commission.
The meeting was dedicated to the discussion of the priorities on diversification of routes for energy resources' output to the global market, including those in the European direction that provides for the joint creation of multiple pipeline infrastructures.
The sides discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation in the energy sector during the meeting, including the implementation of joint projects for laying of transnational transit pipelines, in particular on natural gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Europe.
As a result of the meeting a declaration was initialed, which reflects discussed issues and confirms the desire of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the EU to continue active cooperation within international organizations on the establishment of effective mechanisms to ensure energy security.
Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon resources could be transported to Europe via the Caspian Sea by laying a pipeline at the bottom of the sea to the Azerbaijani coast. Then the fuel can be directed to Turkey, which has common borders with the European countries.
Trans-Caspian gas pipeline could become a part of Southern Gas Corridor's large-scale projects. Ashgabat believes that for laying the pipe at the bottom of the Caspian Sea (legal status of which is not defined yet) consent of the parties (Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan), the territory of which the project will cover is sufficient.