Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey to discuss gas supplies with EU

Ashgabat will host a meeting with the heads of oil and gas ministries of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and representatives of the EU, which will promote further cooperation in the energy sector, the message released by the government of Turkmenistan said.

This issue was discussed during a meeting of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov and Vice-Chairman of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic in Ashgabat.

The message said that the issues of cooperation in the energy sector, where Turkmenistan, which has huge resource and industrial potential, implements a strategy of diversification of routes of export of its energy resources to world markets, as well as in the European direction, which provides for the creation of multivariant pipeline infrastructure became subject of a separate discussion.

In this context, it was stressed that the EU supports this forward-looking strategy as well as “international initiative to create a new global architecture of energy security, meeting modern realities” put forward by Turkmenistan.

The report said that the high-ranking guest expressed confidence that the forthcoming quadripartite meeting in Ashgabat with participation of heads of branch ministries of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and representatives of the EU will further promote cooperation in this strategic area and determination of the prospects of practical implementation of the relevant infrastructure projects.

The EU has started to actively lobby for the project of building the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan. The Southern Gas Corridor, including the Trans-Caspian project as well, remains a priority for Brussels. Trans-Caspian pipeline could become a part of the TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Pipeline) project, which is being constructed by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

/By Trend/