Turkmenistan keen on gas export

By Atul Aneja

NEW DELHI, APRIL 3. Resource rich but landlocked, the Central Asian Republic of Turkmenistan could export natural gas to an energy hungry India along a land corridor passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan, Turkmenistan's visiting Foreign Minister, Mr. Boris Shikhmuradov, has said.

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu,Mr. Shikhmuradov, who arrived here on Sunday, pointed out that Turkmenistan had recently held talks in Afghanistan and Pakistan which revolved around construction of a pipeline that would terminate in India. ``Turkmenistan is holding an active dialogue on this issue with Afghanistan and Pakistan. In my recent meetings in Pakistan, which included parleys at the senior-most level in the ministry of energy and the foreign ministry, the focus was on creation of an appropriate environment so that a pipeline to India via Pakistan from Turkmenistan could be laid.''

Indicating Turkmenistan's emphasis on the Afghan- Pakistan land passage for transit and trade, he said his country was looking at building a rail corridor from Chaman in Pakistan via Kandahar and Herat in Afghanistan. The proposed rail link would then enter Turkmenistan's territory before terminating at Bender Turkmen on the Persian Gulf.

On the civil-strife in Afghanistan, he pointed out that Turkmenistan was committed to aiding a peaceful resolution. After the conflict was resolved, Turkmenistan could play a special role in Afghanistan's reconstruction by constructing pipelines and establishing transport infrastructure. Without naming the erstwhile Soviet Union, Mr. Shikhmuradov said the roots of the present crisis in Afghanistan lay in its past. ``The present dangerous trend which has led to suffering in Afghanistan and resulted in a non- stop internal conflict can be traced to the rude external interference 20 years ago.''

Turkmenistan, he said, was ready to work constructively with the recently appointed U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, Ambassador F. Wendrella.

`Communication knot'

Committed to creating multiple transit options which are available on account of its special geographical location, Turkmenistan is also looking at transferring its oil and gas reserves via Iran. A bridge which links the Persian Gulf periphery to Central Asia, Mr. Shikhmuradov described Turkmenistan as the ``unique trans- continental communication knot, connecting the commercial routes in the North-South and East West directions.'' Not surprisingly, Turkmenistan and Iran had worked together in the past to link their railway systems. As a result, goods can now be sent from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to interior of Central Asia as well as other parts of the former Soviet Union along this route.

Asked whether Turkmenistan was considering sending its gas through Iran which thereafter could be shipped to India in specialised containers, he said Turkmenistan was keeping its Iranian transport option for hydrocarbons wide open. Experts from Turkmenistan and Iran, he said, were getting ready to undertake a feasibility study to extend the existing eight billion cubic meters Iran -Turkmenistan pipeline from Korpedje to Kurt-Kui. The proposed pipeline would terminate at the Iranian port of Neka and would carry 13 billion cubic meters of gas.

Mr. Shikhmuradov's observations assume importance as New Delhi and Ashgabat last year had formed a joint working group to explore energy transportation routes from Turkmenistan to India. According to government sources here, India, while planning its future energy security, is looking at availing oil and gas from an extensive trans-Asian pipeline line network which terminates in Iran. This includes gas pipelines from Turkmenistan and Qatar to the Iranian energy hub of Bandar Abbas. The transportation of gas thereafter to India, however, continues to remain problematic. While the most feasible transportation route to India of Turkmen gas is via Pakistan, this may not be possible in the near future on political grounds.

* * *

Pak. nod to Iran

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 3. The Pakistani Government has approved a pipeline from Iran across Pakistan to supply gas to India, Jehangir Bashar, a Petroleum Ministry spokesman, said today.

``It will be an onshore pipeline and Pakistan will get transit fees for providing the passage,'' he said.

Project details were scarce and it was too early to say when the pipeline work would begin, he said.

- AP

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