Europe, Ukraine, Georgia Support Expansion of Southern Gas Corridor

The prospects of the Trans-Caspian pipeline are getting brighter, as recent diplomatic meetings hint at a growing focus on Ashgabat’s role in Europe’s energy security.  

After European officials confirmed on Wednesday that Maroš Šefčovič will visit Turkmenistan in the coming months, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk met with Rashid Meredov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country in Central Asia. 

‘The parties also reached agreement on the exchange of visits of government delegations to consider joint economic and energy projects’ reads the note released by the Ukrainian government on Thursday. 

BP, Statoil, Total, RWE and ENI are the companies better positioned to eventually take the lead of projects connecting Europe to Turkmenistan - the first three are involved in projects in Azerbaijan and the last two signed contracts for explorations in the Caspian Sea with the Turkmen government. 

The Trans-Caspian pipeline, which would increase the scope of the Southern Gas Corridor, would significantly decrease Europe’s dependence on Russia. 

Meanwhile, also Georgia is increasingly focusing on gas projects and the pipeline connecting Europe to the Caspian region. 

‘Southern Gas Corridor, the projects recent developments and prospect, business environment and investment climate in Georgia were among issues discussed during the conference’ Georgian Oil & Gas Corporation wrote on its website on Thursday, referring to a conference in Tbilisi with Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze. 

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will meet with Montenegro Prime Minister Milo Đukanović on Friday.  

‘Attending the meeting on the Bulgarian side will be Bulgarian Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova and Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova’ the office of Borissov reported.