The foreign ministry of Turkmenistan issued a press release on 24 July 2023, clarifying in detail the issues related to the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
Here is the translation of the text of the press release:
Recently, a number of international media have started to comment on the possibilities of implementing a project for the supply of Turkmen natural gas in the western direction. We are talking about the construction of a gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea in order to transport Turkmen “blue fuel” to European markets (Trans-Caspian pipeline).
Such a “sudden” manifestation of interest in a large-scale project in the current conditions, in general, is understandable and understandable. But, at the same time, it requires an objective and clear factual explanation.
The idea of building the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, initiated by Turkmenistan, was initially considered by our country not just as an economically and commercially sound project, but also as an important component of the diversification of energy flows as a key condition for global energy security and sustainability based on equal consideration of the interests and benefits of producers, consumers and transit countries. Which, by the way, all potential project participants agree with.
The beginning of a substantive discussion of this issue was laid during the official visit of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Brussels in November 2007, in his talks with the President of the European Commission, European Commissioners and heads of various EU structures. In November of the same year and in May 2008, official representatives of the EU responsible for energy cooperation visited Turkmenistan, during which fundamental agreements were reached on cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union in the field of energy. One of the results of the meetings was also the signing in May 2008 of a Memorandum of understanding and cooperation in the field of energy between Turkmenistan and the European Union. Mutual readiness to develop a mechanism to ensure the supply of Turkmen energy to Europe was also confirmed during the official visit of the then President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barosa to Turkmenistan in early 2011.
At the same time, within the framework of the UN, Turkmenistan initiated a broad interested dialogue on the issue of energy security, which resulted in the consensus adoption by the General Assembly in 2008 of the first resolution “Reliable and stable transit of energy carriers and its role in ensuring sustainable development and international cooperation”. Seventy-one states became its co-sponsors. In 2013, the UN General Assembly once again unanimously adopted the Turkmen draft of a similar resolution.
Relying on such a solid international legal framework, Turkmenistan has made efforts to create the necessary political, financial, and organizational conditions that would make it possible to translate the idea of building a Trans-Caspian pipeline into a practical plan. To this end, mechanism of trilateral partnership between Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union were formed, consisting of the heads of the relevant energy departments.
On the part of the EU, in turn, significant efforts were also made, in particular, in the form of the creation of the Caspian Development Corporation as an association of European energy companies, banks and other financial institutions to establish systematic cooperation on the withdrawal of Caspian energy resources in the western direction. It is natural that the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline was included in the list of promising projects by the European Union.
In general, cooperation on the construction of the Trans-Caspian Pipeline has progressed consistently and practically, receiving political and functional international support.
The international legal validity of the project is also beyond doubt after the adoption in 2018 by five coastal States of the fundamental document regulating the key principles of policy in the Caspian Sea – the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea.
Article 14 of this document, in particular, states:
“1. The parties may lay cables and pipelines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea.
3. The determination of the route for laying underwater cables and pipelines is carried out in agreement with the Party through the sector of the bottom of which the underwater cable or pipeline should be conducted.”
Thus, to date, the construction of the Trans-Caspian pipeline is directly related to the delimitation of the seabed between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In addition, Turkmenistan is convinced that there are no political, economic, financial factors preventing the construction of the gas pipeline. On the contrary, the Trans-Caspian pipeline is an absolutely realistic project, justified from an economic point of view, capable of making a tangible contribution to ensuring energy security in Eurasia, ensuring long-term and uninterrupted access to raw materials for European consumers, while respecting the obvious benefits and interests of the transit side.
Based on this, Turkmenistan, being committed to the strategy of diversification of energy flows, expresses its readiness to continue cooperation with partners in the implementation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline project. /// nCa 24 July 2023 [press release of foreign office of Turkmenistan, 24 July 2023]
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