Today.Az » Business » New energy supply routes may give a ‘strong impetus’ to CIS economy: Turkmen President
13 April 2009 [09:05] - Today.Az
New pipeline routes for energy sources can give a 'strong impetus' to the economies of the CIS member states including producer countries, buyer and transit countries, local media quoted Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov as saying.
"Given the colossal resource and transit potential possessed by the CIS members, successful realization of joint projects, construction of new pipeline routes will give a strong impetus to economy and social development of our countries including producers, transit countries and consumers," Turkmen leader said.
Turkmenistan is the largest natural gas supplier second to Russia in CIS. For the last years great part of the export gas is supplied to northwards, that is, to Russia which re-exports it to Europe and CIS. Central Asia-Center (CAC) gas pipeline built in 1960s is being used, but its infrastructure has become old morally and need reconstruction. The CAC-4 near Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border was damaged at night from April 8 to 9. As a result, fuel export was suspended. Turkmen Foreign Ministry said Russia is responsible for the crash. Russia ceased collection of gas suddenly without notification which caused a blast as Turkmenistan claims.
Ashgabat has emphasized a need to diversify energy supply routes on numerous occasions. The construction of international gas pipeline to China has been activated. The pipeline crosses Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It will be put into operation in late 2009. To consolidate its position in the region, Russian gas monopolist Gazprom proposes the project on the Caspian Littoral Pipeline which will lay along Caspian shore via Kazakhstan to Russia. Europe pins hope on access to the Russian resources once Trans-Caspian gas pipeline under the Caspian seabed is implemented. It can become part of Nabucco which will deliver Central Asian and Azerbaijani gas.
Berdimuhammedov said reliability, stability and security of energy supply routes are important. Turkmenistan offers to launch "open, multilateral and international' dialogue on this issue in an effort to design coordinated approaches to principles and experience of work in the market of energy crude, establishment of international and legal mechanisms to protect supply infrastructure. International conference on reliability and stability of energy supplies will be held in Ashgabat in late April.
The key issue on the agenda of the forum will be Ashgabat's project in accordance with the resolution of the UNO, co-authors of which were the CIS countries and was unanimously adopted in December 2008 by the UN General Assembly.
Berdimuhamedov says that "it testifies our states' understanding of vital urgency of problems, their adherence to constructive dialogue and co-operation. And of course, we accept the position of CIS countries as demonstration of original friendship, solidity of our relations".
/Trend Capital/
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