ASHGABAT (Associated Press) –Turkmenistan lashed out Wednesday at what it says is a Russian attempt to stymie the creation of a natural gas supply route to Europe.

The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it supports the European Union’s plans to broker negotiations between former Soviet nations Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on speeding up the creation of a trans-Caspian pipeline.

That pipeline would allow Turkmenistan to feed its copious gas reserves into planned European gas routes, but the project has been opposed by Russia that seeks to maintain its role as the top energy supplier to Europe.

Russia provides Western Europe with a quarter of its gas requirements and has resisted initiatives aimed at loosening its grip over the energy market. Turkmenistan, which by some official estimates holds more than 30 trillion m³ in total gas reserves, is trying to find as many export routes as possible.

The legal status of the Caspian Sea (دریای کاسپی) has been in limbo since the 1991 Soviet collapse.

Read more >>