U.S. Department of State: No barriers left to Trans-Caspian gas pipeline construction

No obstacles remain prior to the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, a senior adviser to the US State Department's special envoy for Eurasian energy Daniel Stein said today in Ashgabat.

He noted that the U.S. had backed the Trans Caspian Gas Pipeline project for the past 15 years and continues its support today. Mr.Stein said if Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and the EU agree to build such a pipeline, then its realisation lacks any obstacles.

He said the Caspian and Central Asian countries should be able to make their own choices about whom they want to sell their energy.

The Trans-Caspian route would become a part of the trans-national Southern Gas Corridor projects. Gas may be delivered for the Trans-Caspian project through the 1000-km East-West gas pipeline which is under construction through the territory of Turkmenistan.

The South Corridor is a priority EU project diversifying energy supply routes and sources and increasing security. The Corridor includes the Nabucco gas pipeline and the TAP and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline). Gas produced within the second phase of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz Field is considered to be the main source for these projects.


/Trend/