US and Turkmenistan Explore New Gas Routes Across the Caspian

US and Turkmen diplomats focused on expanding trans-Caspian connectivity and promoting energy export diversification during annual consultations in Ashgabat. Turkmen officials are signaling a strong desire to improve trade ties with both South Asia and the West, while maintaining the country’s long-standing status as a neutral state.Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia S. Paul Kapur met November 3 with Turkmenistan’s paramount leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, before holding comprehensive discussions with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. Reports on the talks offered by both sides did not provide specifics but sounded optimistic.A US Embassy statement touted “positive momentum in the US-Turkmenistan relationship,” citing “commercial ties, energy cooperation, and regional connectivity.”A report published by the official Turkmen news agency TDH characterized US-Turkmen economic relations as “fruitful.” It went on to indicate that Ashgabat’s “strategy to diversify its energy supply routes” was high on the agenda for the annual consultations.After decades of equivocation, Turkmen energy officials have signaled interest in shipping significant volumes of natural gas westward. In the weeks prior to the bilateral consultations, officials in Ashgabat indicated that they were hoping to secure American assistance and investment for improving the country’s energy extraction infrastructure. American officials, meanwhile, would like to secure a Turkmen commitment to participate in a long-contemplated trans-Caspian pipeline. Turkmen participation is widely seen as needed for a trans-Caspian pipeline, if built, to be economically viable.In late October, Turkey’s envoy in Ashgabat, ?ener Cebeci, announced that the two countries would restart energy trade, adding that they would also explore developing new transit routes to supply Turkmen gas to Europe via Turkey.Cebeci’s comments are helping to catalyze chatter about a trans-Caspian export route. Turkmen energy officials have cautioned, however, that before Ashgabat can participate in any pipeline project, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan must settle their shared boundary of the Caspian seabed. The TDH report also praised US “attention and support” for the TAPI pipeline, which is envisioned as carrying Turkmen gas to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan. Turkmen officials say a section of the route connecting the Turkmen border to the western Afghan city of Herat is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026. Another focus of the consultations was expanding Turkmenistan’s role in an emerging trans-Caspian trade network, otherwise known as the Middle Corridor. Turkmen officials have identified assistance and investment opportunities in a variety of trade-related areas.In an early October interview, Turkmen Minister of Railways Mammet Akmammedov stated that the government is striving to position the country as a multi-modal transit hub. He said Turkmen Railways was seeking to purchase new locomotives while also improving rail infrastructure and digitizing customs procedures. Over the past 14 months, Wabtec, a Pittsburgh-based locomotive manufacturer, has made sales to several Central Asian states. US trade officials have engaged Turkmen railways in discussions about a potential purchase of Wabtec engines.In a sign of Ashgabat’s eagerness to attract US investment, Akmammedov stressed that Turkmenistan, which shares a 700-plus-mile border with Iran, was “strictly following” the US sanctions regime imposed on the Islamic Republic. Turkmenistan is also looking to harmonize its transport procedures with the global TIR system, which reduces international transit times for cargo by utilizing “sealed load compartments.”Azat Shahnazarov, head of the State Service for Maritime and River Transport, said in a separate interview that Turkmenistan was looking for help to boost its Caspian merchant fleet, including tankers and container ships. “We need more vessels,” he said.He also identified the decline in the Caspian Sea’s level as a “serious concern for us,” adding that Ashgabat had plans to add dredging capacity to keep ports operating at least at the current volume of traffic.A Turkmen Foreign Ministry statement on November 3 emphasized that Ashgabat additionally wants to expand business-to-business contacts with American companies and increase educational and scientific exchanges. The ministry also stated a desire for bilateral relations to move beyond optimistic rhetoric to achieve “concrete practical substance.”By EurasianetMore Top Reads From Oilprice.comOil Crashes 9% as Trump and Vance Blame Iran War for Midterm RoutADNOC Gas to Supply LNG to TotalEnergies Under Five-Year DealIndian Refiner BPCL Buys U.S. WTI Crude Oil Cargo