NEWS BRIEFS

TURKMENISTAN: PIPELINE RUPTURE PATCHED, BUT ENERGY STILL NOT FLOWING TO RUSSIA
9/21/09

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In the better-late-than-never department: Turkmenistan’s main export pipeline to Russia is fully operational after more than a five-month repair ordeal that featured acrimonious verbal exchanges between Ashgabat and Moscow.

The pipeline, known as CAC-4, exploded in April bringing Turkmen gas exports to Russia to halt. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Now, only "technical discussions" between Ashgabat and the Kremlin-controlled conglomerate Gazprom preclude the immediate resumption of exports, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov announced.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on September 18 the Turkmen president described Russia as Turkmenistan’s "historic, strategic partner." He went on to say that the two states would "strengthen and develop our relations."

A date for the talks on the resumption of exports has yet to be fixed. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s aide, Sergei Prikhodko, said on September 14 that talks might happen "over the coming weeks." [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Posted September 21, 2009 © Eurasianet
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