Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 31
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:
The export of energy resources in a European direction is one of the priorities of Turkmenistan's international strategy, according to an analytical article by the Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary state news service.
A meeting has been recently held with EU representatives led by the head of the EU directorate general on energy, Hans Rhine at the State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources under the Turkmen president. Specialists at the Turkmen ministries were involved in the talks, according to the report.
'As for the domestic pipeline system, an 800 kilometre East-West gas pipeline is being constructed to ensure the efficiency of supplying large volumes of gas in the eastern and the westerly directions and creating a looped system of gas transportation arteries in the country', according to the report.
Commissioning of the pipeline will connect the largest gas fields in the eastern part of the country with the main gas pipelines in the west.
Turkmenistan and the European Union are holding talks with regard to the realisation of the project on the construction of the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.
The Southern Gas Corridor which includes the Trans-Caspian project remains a priority for Brussels. The EU summit in May 2013 which approved the key infrastructure energy projects for 2014-2020, was proof of this.
The interested parties earlier noted that the project on construction of the 300-kilometre long gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the coast of Azerbaijan is optimal for delivery of Turkmen resources to the European markets.
Turkmen fuel may extend further to Turkey which borders the European countries.
Trans-Caspian may become a part of several major projects including AGRI and TANAP, in which Ankara and Baku are actively participating.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world for its natural gas reserves and currently exports gas to markets in China, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Iran.
Options for the construction of gas pipelines from Turkmenistan to markets in South Asia and Europe are being explored.
Translated by N.H. and E.A.
Edited by S.M.