EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Kazakhstan: EU Official Urges Building Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline

EURASIA INSIGHT

KAZAKHSTAN: EU OFFICIAL URGES BUILDING TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE
10/11/07
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from BBC Monitoring

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Text of report by Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency

Astana, 10 October: A trans-Caspian gas pipeline should be built and could become a good opportunity to pipe gas from Central Asia to Europe, the secretary-general of the Council of the European Union and the high representative for common foreign and security policy of the European Union, Javier Solana, believes.

At a news conference in Astana today, he said that this issue was discussed at meetings with both the leaderships of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

"There is a big and important possibility of transferring gas from this region to Western Europe through this route, which is yet a project and should be implemented," Javier Solana said.

He also noted that "how to build the part of the gas pipeline that does not exist yet is yet to be determined".

At the same time, Javier Solana stressed that "the trans-Caspian route could become an important opportunity" to resolve issues relating to piping gas from Central Asia to Europe.

As is known, at a meeting in Asgabat last spring, the Russian, Kazakh and Turkmen presidents agreed to build a Caspian shore gas pipeline, which is an alternative to the project of the trans-Caspian gas pipeline.

Editor�s Note: Source: Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty, in Russian 1156 gmt 10 Oct 07

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