Turkmenistan Talks Up TAPI, Not Pipeline to Europe
Turkmenistan is looking south, not west, to realize its pipe dreams. Speaking at an annual oil and gas conference in Ashgabat last week, Turkmen officials spent a lot of time praising the proposed TAPI pipeline to south Asia. They reportedly did so at the expense of plans to construct a pipeline to export Turkmenistan’s vast gas reserves to Europe.
TAPI – named for the four countries it would cross: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India – is “regarded with suspicion as a wildly ambitious pipedream by some analysts,” AFP said, especially because it would traverse war-torn Afghanistan. Ashgabat signed onto the project at the urging of the Asian Development Bank and Washington in May. In 2008, it was estimated to cost $7.8 billion. Turkmen officials “took every opportunity to talk up the pipeline while showing less interest in a similar project that would transport gas across the Caspian” to Europe, AFP reported: “The realization of the TAPI pipeline project will allow an increase in exports of Turkmen gas,” President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was quoted as saying in a formal statement for the conference.
Source: eurasianet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66197
South Korea Announces Proposal on TAPI Project in Turkmenistan
South Korea's Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas) took part in a presentation on "Cooperation in the field of natural gas between Turkmenistan and Korea" in Ashgabat. During the three sessions of the meeting, participants discussed issues such as the current status of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project, and in particular, the proposal made to Kogas Turkmenistan regarding their participation in the project.
Source: investing.businessweek.com, trend.az
TAPI Construction Not to Start Any Time Soon – Russian Expert
Despite the seeming popularity of the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) Project among potential investors, it is unlikely that its construction will begin soon, says Russian expert on Central Asia, member of Trend News Agency Expert Council, Stanislav Pritchin. He thinks that the main reason for that is the unstable situation in Afghanistan. “It is obvious that the situation in Afghanistan is quite unstable, especially in light of the expected withdrawal of NATO troops from the country, and nobody can foresee how the situation will develop after 2014,” – said the expert.
Source: ca-news.org
EBRD discusses prospects of expanding cooperation with Turkmenistan
Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Turkmenistan and other countries in the region, Werner Gruber, visited Ashgabat to discuss cooperation. He held meetings at the Turkmen Central Bank and the State Commercial Bank Halkbank and spoke of EBRD intentions to increase cooperation with Turkmenistan.
Source: trend.az
Iran to Raise Turkmenistan Gas Imports
Imports of gas from Turkmenistan to Iran will increase to 40 million cubic meters per day, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Javad Owji announced. According to the report of the public relations department of the NIGC, he said that Iran is planning to import nearly 40 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from Turkmenistan in less than a month time from now. Owji added that, falling gas imports was the result of maintenance in gas facilities of Iran and Turkmenistan over the first half of the year. He added that shortly Iranian delegation headed by the country’s Oil Minister, Rostam Qasemi, will visit Turkmenistan for talks.
Source: Ingworldnews.com, iran.ru
Turkmen-French economic negotiations to be held in Paris
A Turkmen delegation plans to pay a working visit to Paris on November 25-27. The delegation is expected to participate in the second session of the intergovernmental Turkmen-French commission on economic cooperation. Deputy Prime Minister, Akmurad Egeleev, will represent Ashgabat at the talks.
Source: trend.az
Turkmenistan, China to Strengthen Cooperation in Satellite Communications Field
On November 21 – 24, Chairman of the National Space Agency under the Turkmen President, Alladurdy Atayev, was in China on a working visit in which he went to Sichuan province to attend the launch ceremony of ChinaSat-12 communications satellite, and held talks on the exchange of experiences in the development of satellite systems. This past summer, President Berdymukhamedov received the President of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) Ma Sinzhu in Ashgabat
Source: trend.az
CLAAS aims to strengthen position in Turkmen market
President Berdymukhamedov received heads of the German Manufacturer of harvesters and tractors CLAAS Global Sales GmbH in Ashgabat on November 21. The company's President for sales in CIS countries, Diter Duringer, and Regional Director for Central Asia and Caucasus, Sergey Potemin, also attended the meeting. Businessmen emphasized the interest of the company in strengthening its position in the Turkmen market.
Source: trend.az
Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.