Turkmenistan wants to make more use of levers it has: economic expert

“Russia and Turkmenistan has a gas deal,” member of the Azerbaijani parliament’s Standing Economic Policy Committee and Former Vice Prime Minister Vahid Ahmadov said commenting on a recent statement by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov claiming that the country has enough stocks of gas for Nabucco and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s recent visit to Turkmenistan.

“But in recent years Turkmenistan has slightly changed its position. Previously the country addressed all issued with Russia. Now international relations have changed and Turkmenistan wants to make more use of levers that he has,” Ahmadov said.

"Previously, Turkmenistan was not actually given a nod to participate in Nabucco gas pipeline project. But to fill the pipeline requires a large amount of gas which will be provided by a number of countries. Turkmenistan always refused to participate in this project. But recently, the question of Nabucco was put very seriously, because the European countries and the United States are eager to see this pipeline involved,” he said.

With regard to Nabucco, Azerbaijan “took a certain stand.”

“Our country has never refused to participate in this project and said that it has enough gas for both the project and Russia. Azerbaijan will sell its gas to those countries that pay more.”

“Turkmenistan does not want to quarrel either with Russia or with Europe or the U.S., so the president of Turkmenistan made a statement to say that Turkmen gas will be enough for all. But yesterday [Sept. 13] the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev was in Turkmenistan, and it is too early to say whether they reached agreement or not. Media reports say that the presidents could not agree about anything, but I do not believe in it,” he said.

/Day.Az/