Azernews.Az

The negotiations of energy officials of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger held in Ashgabat on Monday were constructive, Oettinger's spokesperson Marlene Holzner told Trend news agency over the phone from Brussels.

One of the key issues of the negotiations was the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project.

Brussels issued a mandate to start negotiations on drafting an agreement between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the Trans-Caspian project last year.

Trans-Caspian gas pipeline running around 300 kilometres is to be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor. The Southern Gas Corridor is a priority energy project for the EU aimed at diversifying the routes and sources of supply and thereby increasing European energy security.

Holzner said the meeting was one out of many meetings the sides had and will have in the future.

"We did not expect yesterday that we will finalize the negotiations, however, it was a very constructive meeting, where all sides said they are interested to continue these negotiations and to build Trans-Caspian pipeline," Holzner said.

She said an important point in Monday's negotiations for the European Commission was that Turkmenistan reaffirmed that it is interested in gas supplies to Europe. At the same time, Azerbaijan confirmed that it continues to be interested in the deliveries as a transit country, the spokesperson said.

"If we get the gas from Turkmenistan it needs to be delivered through Azerbaijan," Holzner said.

She added that there will be further meetings at ministerial level and then hopefully the sides will get more details of the issue, and "this is the outcome" of the Ashgabat talks.