President of Turkmenistan and ADB head discuss construction of pipelines in Caspian

Baku. 15 November. REPORT.AZ/ President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Takehiko Nakao have discussed construction of pipelines in the Caspian Sea in Ashgabat, Report informs citing the state newspaper "Neutral Turkmenistan".

The paper noted that creation of the international transit-transport corridor Lapis-Lazuli (Lazurite) on the route Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia was the separate topic of talks. In the final part the corridor will extends to the Turkish Kars and Istanbul, providing access to Europe.

It is emphasized that the meeting participants noted the increased potential for cooperation in the Caspian Sea, where the signing the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea created prospects for future joint projects, including the construction of pipelines and the development of marine resources.

Notably, after the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the Turkmen side has repeatedly expressed interest in building a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline connecting Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. This gas pipeline will allow Turkmenistan to connect to the Southern Gas Corridor and supply its natural gas to the European energy market.