Kazakh Foreign Minister Speaks of Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline

Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kasymzhomart Tokayev told RIA Novosti news agency that considerations are underway about the possible transit of Kazakh gas to Georgia via Russia by a joint Russian-Kazakh company KazRosGaz.

Tokayev also said that Kazakhstan is also considering the possibility of joining a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, which will enable the transit of Central Asian gas to the west, bypassing Russia.
 
“Construction of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is now under consideration, including in the European Union, which has recently developed a document – the Green Paper [European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy]. Kazakhstan is currently only studying this issue, as the [document] contains a number of significant geopolitical elements. However, actually, it is better for us if there are many possibilities for the export of our energy resources,” Kazakh Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev said.

The EU Green Paper on energy policy says that Caspian oil and gas will be important for the EU’s security of their energy supply “by increasing the geographical diversification of the EU’s external energy supplies.”