OREANDA-NEWS. December 13, 2007. Russian government approved the trilateral agreement between Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the construction of Caspian gas pipeline, the government's press office reported. The official announcement on this approbation was made by Russian Vice Prime Minister Sergei Naryshkin at the session of Russian government ministers with the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The exercise of the agreement is to be started in the H2 2008, Naryshkin said. Vice Prime Minister noted that the project of the agreement was developed for the purpose of the implementation of the declaration signed by the presidents of three countries.
On May 12, 2007 Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a declaration about the development of gas transportation facilities in Central Asia. It was planned to prepare the cooperation agreement on the construction of the Caspian pipeline by September 1, 2007. Uzbekistan could also join the project as a fourth member. According to the project data, the pipeline itself would go along Caspian seashore and its carrying capacity would comprise about 30 billion cubic meters a year. The project is to be started in H2 2008.