Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb.25
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
Europe regards Turkmenistan as a prospective and reliable natural gas supplier, Energy Charter Secretary General Urban Rusnak said at the meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat, Turkmen media outlet reported on Feb.25.
"Expressing full support for the energy policy pursued by the Turkmen leader, the most important direction is to diversify export routes for delivering Turkmen energy resources to world markets.
The secretary general of the Energy Charter said that European countries see Turkmenistan as one of the most prospective and most importantly, reliable suppliers of natural gas and are ready to discuss topical areas of mutually beneficial cooperation in concrete terms," Turkmen Dovlet khabarlary (TDH) state news service said.
The Turkmen president highlighted the country's interest in intensification of the mutual energy dialogue, according to TDH.
Moreover, it was pointed out at the meeting that modern realities dictate the need to create a close, multifaceted partnership in order to ensure reliable protection of international energy supplies, as well as to increase investment in the development of local fuel and energy complex, TDH said.
"Rusnak highly appreciated the peace-making policy and active position of Turkmenistan which has put forward a number of important international initiatives to provide new conceptual approaches to ensuring global energy security in recent years," Turkmen Altyn Asir TV channel said on Feb.25.
The clear evidence of recognition of Turkmenistan's initiatives was the unanimous adoption of the 'Reliable and stable transit of energy and its role in ensuring sustainable development and international cooperation' resolution by the UN General Assembly, Altyn Asir TV channel said.
Ashgabat offered as part of the UN, to begin developing universal mechanisms that would ensure a reliable and safe operation of the international energy infrastructure in the interests of producer countries, transit countries and gas consumers.
During the meeting it was agreed that the Energy Charter and its secretariat will participate in the working groups established under the leadership of Turkmenistan and to prepare and discuss issues of safe transit of energy resources in the UN format, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.
It was earlier reported that it is planned to hold a meeting of international experts on this problem in the first half of 2014 in Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan is one of the key players in the Caspian Sea region and Central Asian gas market. Currently, consumers of Turkmen natural gas are China, Iran and Russia.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world for natural gas reserves and is looking for new markets in Europe and Asia.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by S.M.