Azernews.Az

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Turkmenistan has much to offer to the changing global energy market, Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources of Turkmenistan Annageldy Mammetyazov said at the international conference 'Caspian Oil and Gas 2013' in Baku on June 5.

Mammetyazov said the country is rich with energy resources, but needs investment and is keen on establishing business relations with all interested parties.

Turkmenistan is going to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation with foreign companies, he said.

Mammetyazov went on to say that the energy exports to Europe are one of the priorities of Turkmenistan's international strategy.

According to him, the key point in this matter is the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline, which is planned to be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor.

Talks on the construction of the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline between Turkmenistan, the EU and other countries have been held since late 1990s. The negotiation process intensified after the EU issued a mandate to start negotiations on the preparation of an agreement between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on the Trans-Caspian project in September 2011.

Touching on the issue of the unresolved status of the Caspian Sea, Mammetyazov said that Turkmenistan is ready to direct and open discussions with all parties on the basis of mutual respect and fairness.

The legal status of the Caspian Sea, which is surrounded by five countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran, has not yet been determined yet. A number of talks on this issue have been held in previous years and negotiations are underway.

Ashgabat believes that the agreement of the parties (Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan), territories of which are covered by the Trans-Caspian project, is sufficient for laying the pipe under the Caspian Sea. Baku has expressed readiness to provide its territory, transit opportunities and infrastructure for its implementation, as reported by the representatives of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR).

Russia and Iran argue that Trans-Caspian pipelines can be built if the environmental expertise is agreed upon by all Caspian littoral countries. However, Kazakhstan backs the position of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan that the environmental expertise must be approved only by the parties involved in a particular project.