Turkmenistan: EU Continues to Court Ashgabat, Seeking Nabucco Commitment

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek will travel to Turkmenistan on February 13 for talks with Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Discussions will focus on ways to enhance Ashgabat's "cooperation and collaboration" with the Eurasia Union, the Turkmen state news agency reported.

The Czech Republic currently holds the presidency of the European Union and the Czech government is pushing for the Nabucco pipeline project to proceed. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The $10.3 billion project has regained momentum in recent weeks, but still needs committed gas supplies to attract investors. Turkmenistan has voiced an interest in the pipeline, but has yet to make any firm supply commitments.

Topolanek is also scheduled to visit Kazakhstan during his tour of Central Asia. In Astana, he is expected to discuss "topical issues" and the future of bilateral relations between Brussels and Astana, according to a press release from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.