(Turkmenistan.ru) - The Chinese department of economic planning has approved the project of Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline construction, the Associated Press reports with reference to publications in the US mass media. This gas pipeline will deliver Turkmen natural gas from the fields in the right bank of the Amudarya River to Guandun province in the south of Chinese pacific coast, reports Trend.
The final route of the gas pipeline has not yet been determined, perhaps it will bypass Uzbekistan and run via Kazakhstan, the Associated Press reports. According to the news agency, it will be no less than 7 thousand km long and will cost approximately dozens of billions of US dollars. The gas pipeline construction will enable China to
diversify energy supplies, and Turkmenistan - to expand markets.
Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov and Chinese Premier Hu Zintao signed the interstate agreement on realization of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline project and selling of Turkmen natural gas to the People's Republic of China on April 3, 2006, in Beijing. In accordance with this document the new gas pipeline to be commissioned in 2009 will annually deliver 30 billion cub m of gas during 30 years. The Chinese side has undertaken to conduct consultations with the transit countries' Governments to agree on mutually beneficial terms of Turkmen gas transportation via their