This week, Turkmenistan hosted the IV International Gas Congress and Exhibition organized by the Turkmengaz State Corporation and Turkmenistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and which drew about 500 delegates from over 30 countries. “Turkmenistan is actively working to diversify gas export routes, seeing it as a priority of the country’s economic policy,” said Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in his address to the participants of the Congress. However, at this time, the only major player buying Turkmen gas and with the infrastructure in place, aside from Russia, is China, a major consumer of Turkmen gas and a provider of billions of dollars in soft loans, with some going to Europe via Russia, and to Iran.
China has been declared a beneficiary of the resources of Turkmenistan’s largest gas field, Galkynysh, according to Kakageldy Abdullaev, Chairman of Turkmengaz State Concern, who announced at the Gas Congress that Galkynysh will serve as a base to increase Turkmen gas exports to China. Ultimately, Turkmenistan plans to send China 65 billion cubic meters of gas annually, and is moving rapidly toward this goal, increasing supplies from 30 billion in 2012 to 40 billion this year, according to figures provided by Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources, Annageldy Mametyazov, at the summit of the CIS countries on oil and gas in Paris held on May 20 – 22. The Deputy Minister also announced that Turkmenistan is planning to increase the amount of extracted natural gas to 75-80 billion cubic meters, compared to last year’s 70 billion, due to the launch of extraction at the Galkynysh gas deposit scheduled for 30 June [2013].
At the same time, Turkmen officials, such as the Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, have kept the doors open to potential European clients for Turkmen gas, saying that, “the prospects for Turkmenistan gas deliveries to Europe is very real,” and noting the progress on the tripartite document between Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and the EU laying out the basic principles of gas delivery from the Caspian to Europe. Meredov also reported on the progress of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI), saying that gas purchase-sale agreements have been already concluded with Pakistan and India.
US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Richard Morningstar, has encouraged movement on the process towards supplying Caspian gas to Europe, saying that, “if Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan agree with the EU to build the pipeline, they can do so, because the pipeline will go through the waters that will only be either Turkmen waters or Azerbaijani waters," he said, adding that, "the US position is that if the two countries reach an agreement there would be no obstacles to the laying of the pipeline." However, this does not factor in objections from Iran and Russia. Vladimir Chizov, representing the Russian Federation to the European Union, in an interview with Russia’s Novosti news agency, accused Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan of violating agreements on the Caspian Sea, which state that all major decisions regarding the Caspian basin must be made by consensus of all Caspian littoral states.
Following the international appeals from the EU and human rights and press freedom organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders, the Turkmen authorities released Rovshen Yazmuhamedov, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondent, who had been held in detention for two weeks. Yazmuhamedov's relatives said the journalist was held at a detention center run by the Interior Ministry's Directorate No. 6, which investigates organized crime and terrorism-related cases. No explanation was given for his detention.
Ashgabat, the Turkmen capital found itself in the Guinness World Records for having the highest number of white marble buildings in a city. Earlier, the capital had at least five mentions in the Guinness World Records for the world's tallest flagpole (133 metres), largest handmade carpet (301 sq. meters), largest fountain complex, largest architectural image of a star, and the largest Ferris wheel in an enclosed architectural design.
In addition to this accolade, the Turkmen government awarded its president with several new honorics – including “Honored Architect of Turkmenistan” – which is the latest on a long list, including Arkadag (Protector), professor of medicine, doctor of economic sciences, author, racing champion, equestrian champion, Hero of Turkmenistan, as well as some titles he’s received abroad, including: Man of the Year (Romania), Honorary Academician of the Academy of Emerging Markets (US 2007), Honorary Doctor of Economics of the Higher School of Privatization and Entrepreneurship (Russia, 2007), Honorary Doctor of Kazan State University (Russia, 2008), Honorary Doctor of Tashkent Medical Academy (Uzbekistan, 2008), Honorary Doctor of Baku State University (Baku, 2008), Honorary Professor of Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (Russia, 2009), honored professor of Beijing University (2011), among others.
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