Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 24
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
The European Union has shown great interest in the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline and the supply of Turkmen natural gas to the European market, the state news agency Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary reported Oct. 23.
This issue was raised during the recent negotiations in Brussels. The sides discussed the issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU in the energy sector, modernization of the legal framework of the partnership, implementation of the project of construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, the message says.
The delegation of Turkmenistan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, who held a series of meetings, in particular with the Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, as well as a working meeting with representatives of the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission and others.
The topics of further improvement of the principles of activity of the Caspian Development Corporation (CDC), the continuation of the negotiations of the working group on the implementation of this energy project, including economic, environmental and commercial issues were touched upon.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was briefed on the results of the trip the day before during the telephone conference. The participants in the negotiations from the European Union expressed their readiness to help attract investment in the implementation of this important energy project, which, as the head of state noted, meets not only national objectives, but also aims to strengthen the energy security of the continent.
Thanks to the adoption of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the necessary legal framework has been created for laying a gas pipeline across the Caspian Sea.
Now, only the consent of the project parties and an environmental impact assessment that meets the strict requirements of international standards are needed for the realization of this project, said the article.
The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project provides for the supply of Turkmen energy resources to the European market in the amount of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually for at least 30 years with its transfer at the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan has all the opportunities to implement major energy projects, both in this direction and in other vectors, the message said..
The necessary infrastructure including the East-West domestic gas pipeline, which provides for reverse gas transfers from eastern Turkmenistan to the western regions and back, have been created in the country for this purpose.
The negotiations on the delivery of Turkmen gas to Europe have been conducted since 2011. The Southern Gas Corridor, which includes the Trans-Caspian project, remains a priority for the EU.
In May 2015, the Ashgabat Declaration on Energy was signed by the Ministers of Energy of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Maros Sefcovic. The project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian sea to the shores of Azerbaijan, as noted earlier by the parties concerned, is optimal for the delivery of Turkmen resources to the European market.
Further, the Turkmen fuel can be delivered to Turkey, which borders with European countries. The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline could become part of several large-scale projects, including AGRI and TANAP, in which Azerbaijan and Turkey are participating.