https://arab.news/vabxg
- The idea of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to Europe has been discussed since the 1990s
- Turkmenistan sends most of its gas exports to China
ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan renewed its call Friday for the creation of a pipeline linking its vast gas fields to Europe, a long-mooted project that would require significant foreign investment.
The idea of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline to Europe has been discussed since the 1990s but has been hindered by financial and logistical hurdles.
“We’re always interested in diversifying export routes, including the Trans-Caspian route to Europe,” the chair of state-owned gas company Turkmengaz, Maksat Babayev, told AFP.
Turkmenistan sends most of its gas exports to China, but it is increasingly courting interest from European countries looking to end their dependence on Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The former Soviet republic is one of the five largest holders of natural gas reserves in the world.
The pipeline, which would run under the Caspian Sea to an existing terminal in Azerbaijan, has faced opposition from Russia as well as questions over its financial viability.