Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Sept. 1 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The oil and gas sector is vital to Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan relations, Uzbek Ambassador to Turkmenistan Sherzod Fayziev has told journalists in Ashgabat.
"The opening of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which passes through Uzbekistan, was one of the biggest events for both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan," Fayziev said.
"Uzbekistan definitely supports this large-scale project, which plays a huge role for all countries in the region and signifies the birth of a radically new and economic and energy infrastructure in Central Asia," he said.
Fayziev also cited the words of Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who said "the successful completion of the first phase of construction of the major transcontinental gas pipeline demonstrates [to] the international community and all our neighbors ... what can be achieved by combining the capabilities of interested countries to achieve common interests and goals".
The Asian gas pipeline, which passes through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China, was commissioned in December 2009. The pipeline's design capacity is 40 billion cubic meters per year.
The pipeline will be commissioned at full capacity by 2015, with supply estimated to be around 6-7 billion cubic meters in 2010. The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) acts as buyer and the company and Turkmenistan concluded an agreement on gas supplies for 30 years in 2006. The technical and economic opportunities for the construction of the second stage of the pipeline are currently being studied.