Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, July 18 /Trend, H. Hasanov/
Negotiations on the potential export of Turkmen gas to Turkish consumers intensified today, said an article from the State Information Agency of Turkmenistan "Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary" (TDH).
It should be noted that the negotiation process regarding the European vector of Turkmen gas exports was held with several foreign companies, but recently negotiations on potential exports of Turkmen gas to the Turkish market have intensified", the material says.
In the article, the outcome of Turkish President Abdullah Gul's visit to Turkmenistan in May of this year was mentioned.
"Turkmenistan has sufficient energy resources and Turkey shows a strong interest in transiting Turkmen natural gas, Gul stated. He also noted the importance of gas and electrical line projects", the article says.
During negotiations in Ashgabat, a framework agreement between the two governments on the delivery of Turkmen natural gas to Turkey was signed.
Ankara periodically expresses interest in exporting Caspian energy resources to Europe via Turkey; this issue has been on the agenda since mid-nineties. A 300 kilometers pipeline from Turkmenistan to the Azerbaijani coast via the Caspian Sea is considered the best way to get Turkmen gas to Europe. After flowing through the Caucasus, Turkmen fuel can enter Turkey, which borders with Euroepan customers.
Ashgabat is still pondering the legally ambiguous pipeline.
Azerbaijan has expressed its readiness to open its territory, transit routes and infrastructure to the project.
Turkmen-EU energy cooperation issues were touched upon during the visit of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Ashgabat in January 2011.
In September 2011, the Euroepan Union mandated the start of negotiations for the preparation of an agreement between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the Trans Caspian project.
According to the international media, in April this year, the European commissioner for energy Gunther Oettinger underlined the need to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas.
As Oettinger stated before at a Forum in Hanover, in order to reduce this dependence, "the "Southern Gas Corridor" which connects Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Europe must be opened".
Turkmenistan is one of the biggest players in the Central Asian and Caspian energy establishment. It is scheduled to put the Galkinish field into operation; it is the second biggest gas field in the world. Currently, the Caspian country exports natural gas to China, Iran and Russia.