Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 14 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov approved the composition of the Interdepartmental Commission on the Caspian Sea by appointing Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov as its chairman.
According to the Turkmen government, this corresponds to "tasks to carry out various activity in the Caspian Sea, defining its international legal status, practical solutions to problems related to cooperation between the littoral states, as well as coordination of Turkmen ministries and departments' activities on the Caspian Sea".
For Turkmenistan, which ranks fourth in terms of natural gas reserves in the world (after Russia, Iran and Qatar), laying gas pipeline through the bottom of the Caspian Sea and through Azerbaijan to export gas to Europe looks increasingly attractive. In order to implement this project, the Turkmen side has repeatedly expressed its readiness to conduct appropriate environmental review.
Ashgabat outlined the plans for this year to intensify negotiations with neighboring countries on the Caspian region.
The matter is issues related to the promotion and implementation of international initiatives on the Caspian Sea, put forward by Turkmenistan. These proposals are aimed at conservation, augmentation and management of biological resources of this unique natural reservoir, ensuring its environmental safety, developing constructive regional cooperation.
A series of international events, including an environmental forum on the Caspian Sea are planned.
The traditional way for Turkmen gas to Europe ran through pipelines of Russia. Gazprom, using for long time the fact that this transit has no alternative, bought at a discounted price Central Asian gas for resale to Europe. But with the onset of the global recession, these purchases have decreased significantly - from annual 40-50 billion cubic meters per year to 10 billion.
Ashgabat has recently noted at high level "the importance of Turkmen natural gas supplies to Europe, including through priority projects of Nabucco and AGRI. Both projects are focused in short-term on gas supplies from Azerbaijan, in the long term claim to be the major transit of hydrocarbon resources from Central Asia. In the medium and long term the main source of raw materials may become Turkmenistan.