NOV. 23 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – In Beijing, Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao agreed to increases gas supplies to China from Turkmenistan by 60%. If all goes to plan, Turkmenistan will pump 65b cubic metres per year to China — around half its total annual gas needs.

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NOV. 21 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia’s Gazprom accused Turkmenistan of overstating its gas reserves, triggering an angry response from Turkmen officials. Relations between the two countries have soured in the last couple of years due to rows over gas prices and Turkmenistan’s plans to diversify its gas export routes away from Russia.

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NOV. 15 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – On a trip to Islamabad, Turkmenistan’s President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov agreed a deal with Pakistan for the price of gas for a proposed pipeline running from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan and on to India, Turkmenistan’s state newspaper reported. The deal is seen as vital for pushing the so-called TAPI pipeline forward.

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NOV. 3 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – At a conference in Ashgabat, Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said he supported building a pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Europe, media reported. Mr Berdymukhamedov’s statement is a boost for the EU-back Nabucco pipeline which wants to secure gas from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

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OCT. 13 2011 (The Conway Bulletin) – Continuing the EU’s diplomatic drive to win Turkmenistan’s support for its proposed Nabucco pipeline project, Austrian President Heinz Fischer visited Ashgabat. He hinted the EU would pay more than Russia or China for Turkmen gas that Nabucco considers essential for its success.

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