Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 3
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
“National Joint Stock Company 'Naftogaz of Ukraine' expects to receive natural gas from Turkmenistan on the border of Ukraine and Russia, Trend reports referring to the statement of Executive Director of the company Yuriy Vitrenko on Facebook.
According to him, the matter rests in the use of the Central Asia-Center (CAC) gas pipeline, which was built during the period of the Soviet Union and which is currently controlled by the Russian company Gazprom.
The issue of resuming Turkmen gas supplies was raised last time in 2015 by Ukrainian ex-President Petro Poroshenko who stressed the interest in diversifying gas supplies, including diversification through the Turkmen natural resources.
Ashgabat has not supplied gas to Kiev upon the direct contracts since the beginning of 2006.
However, the Ukrainian leadership stated in early 2013 that the two countries have every opportunity to join efforts to develop alternative routes for gas supplies, both for their own needs and for further export to Europe. To this end, Naftogaz of Ukraine and the Turkmengas state concern signed a memorandum on Turkmen gas supplies to Ukraine on February 13, 2013.
However, no concrete steps were taken. Being one of the key players in the energy market in Central Asia and the Caspian region, Turkmenistan puts forward a number of initiatives to ensure reliable and stable energy supplies to the world markets within the UN. Presently, Turkmen gas is supplied to China and Russia.