OREANDA-NEWS. On 31 March 2009 was announced, that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed the government at a meeting on 27 March to announce an international tender to design and construct an East-West gas pipeline in the territory of Turkmenistan as well as ground infrastructure ensuring its efficient functioning.

The length of the gas pipeline will be from 800 to 1000 km. Upon the sides' agreement the pipeline construction will be financed in accordance with the following scheme: foreign investments; share holding of the Turkmen side on a par with foreign partners; funds provided by the Turkmen side.

According to a statement for press issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan's decision to hold an international tender to design and construct the East-West gas pipeline logically continues the UN General Assembly December 2008 resolution on "Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and its Role in Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Cooperation" proposed by the president of Turkmenistan.

A high-level international conference on the issue of security and stability of international energy supplies will be held in Ashgabat on 23-24 April 2009 to build on the provisions of the resolution. It will gather representatives of dozens of states, major companies, authoritative experts, political analysts, and mass median representatives.

In this context, simultaneously with the work in the international format, Turkmenistan is beginning to take specific practical steps at the national level to set up a system of reliable and safe supplies of energy resources to world markets. Turkmenistan sees the East-West gas pipeline construction project as an important component of such a system. Turkmenistan believes that apart from obvious commercial benefits for project participants, prospective consumers and transit countries, the implementation of this project will help further improve the performance of pipeline infrastructure and have positive effect on the pace of economic and political processes in various countries.

Remaining strongly committed to principles of a broad multilateral dialogue in the important spheres such as ensuring energy security, Turkmenistan reaffirms its readiness to place its vast resource potential, benefits and advantages of its geographical location at the service of goals of sustainable development while taking practical steps towards establishing mutually beneficial international cooperation in this sphere, the MFA statement said.