Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Sept 4 /Trend H.Hasanov/
Turkmenistan is interested in expediting energy exports to Europe, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said at a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Taner Yildiz, the Turkmen government said on Tuesday.
The parties discussed the prospects of increasing traditional cooperation in a number of priority areas particularly the energy sector where the partnership between the two neighbouring countries meets the interests of energy security.
"Our country with its large oil and gas reserves as confirmed by authoritative international experts, is interested in the speedy establishment of a reliable, stable system of transportation of energy in various directions, including Europe," the Turkmen leader said, noting that a number of important initiatives voiced from the rostrum of the General Assembly of the UN is aimed at it.
The strategy of the energy policy of official Ashgabat is aimed at diversifying energy exports.
"Turkey in turn, is always ready to provide all possible assistance and support positive initiatives of the Turkmen side in the world and to take an active part in the implementation of major energy projects to modernise the infrastructure of the domestic energy sector, promoted by our country and in the creation of the advanced multivariate system of Turkmen energy supply to world markets," the Turkish minister said.
It is expected that Turkmenistan can ensure the supplies to world markets including Europe, through the industrial development of the Galkynysh field, recognised as one of the largest centres of abundance of natural gas in the world, deployed with the participation of foreign companies.
Turkmengaz independently started building the East-West domestic gas pipeline aimed at bringing together the rich resources in the east and the coast of the Caspian Sea. Ashgabat is interested in delivery of natural raw materials to European markets through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
There is no direct arrangement for the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline yet. However, the European Union gave a mandate to start negotiations on the preparation of an agreement between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the Trans-Caspian project in September 2011, after which the process began.
Azerbaijan expressed its readiness to provide transit opportunities over its own territory and infrastructure for the project, as previously representatives of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) stated at an energy conference in Ashgabat.
The meeting of the energy ministry heads of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger was held yesterday.
The TANAP project is interested in Turkmen gas, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet said referring to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz. This issue was discussed during the meeting.
On Monday the head of the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan Azer Mensimli confirmed the fact that the deputy Minister of Industry and Energy Natiq Abbasov went to Turkmenistan to participate in the planned talks.
Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) on June 26.
The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters a year. About six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey with the balance to Europe.