Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 26/ Trend , G.Hasanov /
Turkmenistan clearly outlined its right of direct access to Europe by signing a long-term memorandum in April with one of the leading traders of natural gas to the EU market - German RWE AG. The route is clear, since this company is part of the consortium on Nabucco, of which goal is the Caspian resources. Due to galloping global recession, these key issues were included in the agenda of the Turkmen-German business forum which will take place in Ashgabat.
Together with RWE, the event will be attended by the heads of Airbus, Cifal, OMV, Thyssen Krupp, Wintershall, Siemens, Unionmatex GmbH, Knauf, Goetzpartners, Inhar, Textina, Heberger and others. All they will hold a series of meetings in the key state agencies of the country. Officially the delegation is led by the Director of Department for Foreign Economic Affairs of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technologies of Germany Karl Ernst Browner.
"Our businessmen are certainly interested in getting new orders and contracts, each of which the Government of Germany warmly welcomed," a high-ranking representative told Turkmen media. This is the know-how, equipment, advice on marketing and assistance in training. Browner considers the cooperation "very perspective", taking into account the European Union in the supply of Turkmen gas and Turkmenistan's policy to diversify its energy export routes.
According to the local observers, the fact that as a "locomotive" to the European market, the current President Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov chose the German RWE is not accidental. While he was the Minister of Health, Deputy Prime Minister, he was a frequent visitor to Germany, since the German companies, especially Siemens, were actively involved in the establishment of medical towns in the country. Actually, since that time, Berdimuhamedov has been taking a great interest in studying the German language, knowledge of which, he flashed during his visit to Berlin at the meeting with the business elite in Germany last November. It is also significant that the custodian of the foreign reserves of Turkmenistan for many years has been Deutsche Bank, and the only European airline, having mastered the Turkmen sky is Lufthanza.
The experts consider that on the other hand, after the suspension of supplies of the Turkmen gas by Russia - a long-term partner, because of blast on the Central Asia-Center (CAC) pipeline in April, it would be difficult to present a better candidate than RWE to return to Europe.
As known, already in 1993 Gazprom closed the quota for Turkmen gas to Europe, preferring to re-export it independently, strengthening its dominant position both on the gas market of the EU and CIS. It should be mentioned that advertised by Europe, the Nabucco pipeline project livened up exactly from the moment when in February 2008, RWE became the sixth participant of Nabucco Gas Pipeline International Ltd, describing itself as "an ideal strategic partner" for the project.
Then the top managers of RWE described the Caspian region as their goal and did not hide their plans to strengthen their positions through the activities of research, production and transportation of gas. "With more than 10 million gas customers in South-Eastern, Central and North-Western Europe, showing intensity in the industrial activity, RWE will become more reliable buyer of gas, which in future will be transported via Nabucco," the press release of the company said.
It has been just over a year, RWE - as none of the European companies - was at the right time and place, approaching the Turkmen stocks. The moment when Berdimuhamedov made an official visit to Berlin (Paris, London and Rome only in the plans), where he negotiated with the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, demonstrates much things. After signing a Memorandum on long-term cooperation in Ashgabat, Director General of RWE AG Juergen Grossmann said: "This partnership with Turkmenistan is a big step towards future contracts on gas supply from Turkmenistan. This will lead to further diversification of the export of Turkmenistan's portfolio and enhance the security of gas supplies to Germany and Europe."
It should be mentioned that another large player in the energy market - German Wintershall - came to Turkmenistan in advance and is already an operator on the offshore block in the Turkmen section of the Caspian Sea, in 2008 drilled an exploration well in the two exploration blocks 11 and 12. As mentioned at the business forum, RWE is also close to signing a Production Sharing Agreement for Block 23 Turkmen blocks.
The German companies have a solid track record on the Turkmen market. Modernization of the country's largest oil refinery in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea was carried out by a number of companies from Germany, and the credits of the leading German banks were used. The companies such as Mannesman, MAN, Bentek recommended themselves here as well. According to information provided by the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan, the country registered 53 enterprises with the participation of German capital, as well as 101 investment projects and contracts involving companies from Germany, totaling $185.6 million, 731.9 million German marks and €450.2 million.
"The meeting [Ashgabat] takes place in a difficult time, and focus on the further intensive development of interstate relations - the best response to the global financial and economic crisis," said Karl Ernst Browner.
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