The supply of Turkmen gas through the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to Turkish and European markets make this project an important income source for Turkmenistan, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Ali Riza Alaboyun told Trend Oct.22.
The Trans-Caspian pipeline is designed for delivering Turkmen energy resources to the European market. It is planed to lay the pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the Azerbaijani coasts. Further, Turkmen hydrocarbons can be delivered to Turkey which borders with European countries.
The project may be implemented as a part of the Southern Gas Corridor project designed for transporting gas, in particular, Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea region to Europe.
The negotiations on the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project between the European Union, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan started in September 2011.
Turkey’s minister said the implementation of this project can contribute to the region’s development.
“Such projects as the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline can play an important role in the European integration of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan which have huge reserve of hydrocarbon resources,” said the minister.
Alaboyun added that the implementation of this project will also allow to ensure the security of natural gas supply.
Talking about the importance of Turkmenistan on the world gas market, Turkish minister reminded that the country ranks 4th in the world for the volume of natural gas reserve and exports its gas to Russia and China.
The minister didn’t rule out that the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project can become an important contribution to the development of mutually beneficial relations between the Turkic-speaking brotherly states.
