Ecological aspects of pipelines across Caspian Sea to be discussed in Ashgabat

An international conference on the ecological aspects of pipelines crossing the Caspian Sea will be held in Ashgabat on Feb. 28.

Reporters and representatives of the Turkmen and Azerbaijani governments, as well as representatives of Petronas, Dragon Oil, Total and several major oil companies, will speak at the conference, the Turkmen Embassy in Azerbaijan told Trend.

The issues to be discussed at the conference include ensuring ecological security, applying international experience in building pipelines in the Caspian Sea, and ensuring compliance with ecological requirements and norms in hydrocarbon resource development and exploitation.

The Turkmen president said leading scientists and specialists working in the ecological sphere must cooperate at the highest level during the forthcoming conference.

In late November the Turkmen and Azerbaijanis agreed to jointly hold an international conference on the ecology of the Caspian Sea. The decision was the result of a meeting of an intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation in Baku.

"Strengthening and developing friendly relations and multi-aspect cooperation with neighboring Azerbaijan is in the interests of our two countries and peoples," the president said earlier.

Turkmenistan will strengthen its environmental assessments of oil and gas projects in the Caspian Sea upon a presidential decree. It is reviewing the possible construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, which would deliver resources to the Nabucco project.

The Trans-Caspian Pipeline project envisages laying a pipeline under the sea from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan.


/Trend/