Turkmenistan to concentrate on Caspian Sea

Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov will now be responsible for the Caspian policy. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov approved the new staff of the inter-department commission for the Caspian Sea and appointed Rashid Meredov as its chairman.

Turkmenistan has the fourth largest reserves of natural gas (after Russia, Iran and Qatar). Construction of a gas pipeline under the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan to Europe is an advantageous project.

Ashkhabad planes negotiations with other Caspian states. It has proposals for preservation and use of bio-resources and their reproduction, improvement of ecological security, constructive cooperation.

The traditional way to transport Turkmen gas to Europe goes through Russia. Gazprom has been purchasing Middle Asian gas to sell it to Europe for a long time. World recession reduced purchases from 40-50 billion to 10 billion cubic meters annually.

Turkmen projects cannot be realized without construction of the Trans-Caspian Pipeline. Azerbaijan would become a transiting state.