Turkmenistan has reaffirmed its readiness to supply natural gas to European markets but acknowledged significant logistical barriers, particularly the lack of a pipeline linking Central Asia to Europe across the Caspian Sea.
Maksat Babayev, Turkmenistan’s minister for gas and head of the state-owned company Turkmengas, said the country remains committed to diversifying its export routes, with a strong interest in developing a trans-Caspian corridor toward Europe.
Turkmenistan holds between one-fifth and one-quarter of the world’s natural gas reserves. Currently, almost all of its exports go to China. However, as European nations continue efforts to replace Russian gas imports, interest in Turkmenistan’s energy resources has increased, with countries such as Hungary showing particular engagement in recent months.
Babayev stated that Turkmenistan could immediately offer gas for sale at its border using the East-West pipeline, which runs across the country and has a transport capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year. Yet, without the long-discussed trans-Caspian pipeline connecting Turkmenistan to the South Caucasus and then through Turkey to Europe, actual deliveries remain impossible.
The trans-Caspian gas pipeline project, long delayed by financial and geopolitical challenges, has once again drawn European interest as the continent seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons. Nevertheless, unresolved disputes over the legal status and maritime boundaries of the Caspian Sea, particularly between Turkmenistan and Iran, continue to block progress.
Meanwhile, Turkmengas announced a temporary suspension of gas exports to Turkey via Iran due to technical problems. The flow, which began in March, is expected to resume once these issues are resolved. The announcement underscores Turkmenistan’s ongoing difficulties in securing stable and diversified export routes for its substantial natural gas reserves.
