Turkmenistan denies Russia’s inclusion
Turkmenistan deny Russia’s statements that Gazprom could take part in trans-Afghan gas pipeline.
ASHGABAT:
Turkmenistan denied on Thursday Russia’s statements that its gas export monopoly Gazprom could take part in a trans-Afghan gas pipeline and that Moscow and Ashgabat had agreed to freeze a Caspian pipeline project.
Russia’s top energy official, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, told reporters during President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkmenistan last week that Gazprom could take part in the central Asian state’s Tapi pipeline project.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline, conceived in Soviet days, never got off the ground.
But last month plans to build it were revived after the four nations signed a new framework agreement.
“Turkmenistan views such statements as an attempt to hamper the normal course of our country’s cooperation in the energy sector and call into question its obligations to its partners,” Turkmenistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Turkmenistan, which in 2007 agreed with Russia and Kazakhstan to build a gas pipeline to Russia along the Caspian Sea, said it had launched construction of its stretch of the conduit.
“This is why reports that this project has been put on hold, based on statements by Russian officials, cause bewilderment.
In all appearance, the declaring side does not implement or does not want to implement its obligations,” it said.
There was “no agreement whatsoever” on the participation of Russian firms in the Tapi project, the foreign ministry said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2010.
Turkmenistan denied on Thursday Russia’s statements that its gas export monopoly Gazprom could take part in a trans-Afghan gas pipeline and that Moscow and Ashgabat had agreed to freeze a Caspian pipeline project.
Russia’s top energy official, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, told reporters during President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkmenistan last week that Gazprom could take part in the central Asian state’s Tapi pipeline project.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline, conceived in Soviet days, never got off the ground.
But last month plans to build it were revived after the four nations signed a new framework agreement.
“Turkmenistan views such statements as an attempt to hamper the normal course of our country’s cooperation in the energy sector and call into question its obligations to its partners,” Turkmenistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Turkmenistan, which in 2007 agreed with Russia and Kazakhstan to build a gas pipeline to Russia along the Caspian Sea, said it had launched construction of its stretch of the conduit.
“This is why reports that this project has been put on hold, based on statements by Russian officials, cause bewilderment.
In all appearance, the declaring side does not implement or does not want to implement its obligations,” it said.
There was “no agreement whatsoever” on the participation of Russian firms in the Tapi project, the foreign ministry said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2010.