Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 24
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Europe is interested in receiving Turkmen gas, Jurgen Krahn, director general of French company CIFAL SA, said in an interview with Turkmenportal, Trend reports.
"This is an interesting project," he said. "After the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the process of ratification of this treaty is underway in all the Caspian countries."
He noted that the agreement makes it possible to talk about the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline.
"I think that if Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan can quickly agree, this process may begin," he said, adding that a new period is beginning, which allows the EU and Turkmenistan to negotiate a new document.
"I think the signing of this framework agreement may take place next year," he noted. "In any case, the EU has great interest in this. As far as I know, a delegation of Turkmenistan recently visited Brussels, where it held talks. In Germany, as far as I know, there is also great interest in helping Turkmenistan."
The project to lay a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan is optimal for the delivery of Turkmen gas to the European market. Further, the Turkmen gas can be delivered to Turkey, which borders European countries.
Turkmenistan declared its readiness to supply Europe with an annual volume of up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas over 30 years.
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 Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic.