Energy Headlines

Kazakh Energy Minister Baktykozha Izmukhambetov told Interfax on May 4 that Kazakhstan supports the construction of a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China through Kazakhstan. Izmukhambetov said that Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov "specifically discussed the issue of the route of the future gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China" on a recent visit to Turkmenistan (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 3, 2007).

Izmukhambetov added, "We have various proposals and options. If the option [of building the gas pipeline] through Uzbekistan directly through southern Kazakhstan and on to China is passed, we also have some of our own proposals." Turkmenistan and China signed a framework agreement in 2006 to build a pipeline to export Turkmen gas to China
by 2009 with an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters (see "RFE/RL Newsline," April 4, 2006).

Source: RFE/RL

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