Turkmenistan: Gazprom Official Complains About Ashgabat's Energy-Export Tactics

Contract difficulties and "technical measures" initiated by Ashgabat are delaying the resumption of Turkmen gas exports to Russia, a Gazprom executive says.

An explosion on a gas pipeline in April halted Turkmenistan's lucrative gas sales to Gazprom. In September, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said the CAC-4 pipeline was repaired and ready for use pending "technical discussions."

However, Gazprom Chairman Alexander Medvedev now says Ashgabat's technical and contractual requirements are causing new delays in the resumption of exports. "Turkmenistan has said that a number of technical measures should be taken. As soon as they are taken and as soon as all issues related to the resumption of the contract are agreed on, they [gas shipments] will start," the Interfax news agency quoted Medvedev as saying on November 14.