Russia blocked the supply of cheaper Central Asian hydrocarbons for almost two decades.
Kazakhstan offered Europe oil instead of Russian oil, and Turkey said it was ready to become an alternative transit route for the supply of Turkmen gas. This is reported by the world media.
Thus, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, had a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the European Council, Charles Michel, Kazakh media reported. During the conversation, the head of Kazakhstan said that the country he leads wants to make its contribution, playing the role of a kind of “buffer market” between East and West, South and North. It is about alternative transcontinental corridors and food security in the world. However, the main message sent to Europe by the President of Kazakhstan is the readiness to supply Central Asian hydrocarbons to the European market.
“Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev expressed concern and in connection with threats to energy security in the world.Kazakhstan, according to him, is ready to use its hydrocarbon potential in order to stabilize the situation on the world and European markets,” the Radio and Television Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
According to Tokayev, who previously refused to recognize the DPR and LPR and announced his intention to comply with Western sanctions against Russia, Kazakhstan is “committed to the development of stable ties with the EU” — the largest trading partner for the national economy, writes the Russian publication The Moskow times.
The very next day after the specified telephone conversation between the president of Kazakhstan and the head of the European Council Turkey announced that it is ready to supply Turkmen gas.
As the Turkish publication Anadolu writes, Europe, which now receives Russian gas in much smaller volumes than planned, may consider Turkmen gas as an alternative. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said this, listing three supply options.
“We are working on three alternatives: the use of the TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline) line across the Caspian, the agreement SWAP or the pipeline, by sea to the pipeline. I will be happy to say that we are very close to completion,” Oktay was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency.
According to him, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, provides serious support for the quick achievement of the result.
Earlier, Oktay already spoke about the possibility of pumping Turkmen gas through TANAP. He added that the northern corridor has become risky because of the war in Ukraine. The official representative of the President of Turkey, Ibrahim Kalin, suggested that European countries consider TANAP as an alternative to Russian gas supplies. According to him, connection to the line of various sources is possible through the territory of Turkey.
Let us remind you that in 2021 Naftogaz of Ukraine announced its readiness to sue Gazprom for transit from Central Asia. We are talking about tens of billions of cubic meters.
Naftogaz was ready to fight for the supply of less expensive Central Asian gas (mainly from Turkmenistan) for Ukraine's internal needs and transit to Europe.
Gazprom blocked this direction for more than 15 years.
At the same time, European countries began actively looking for an alternative to Russian gas only after in May-June 2022, Gazprom cut off gas to 12 EU countries. Europe also suspected that for political reasons Russia may stop supplying gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. reduced purchases of Russian oil (from 1.8 to 1.4 million barrels per day), and intend to introduce an embargo by the end of the year.
Earlier, Kazakhstan changed the name of its oil to confuse it with Russian oil. Now it will be called “Kazakhstan Export Blend of Crude Oil” – KEBCO.
Prior to the introduction of sanctions, oil produced in Kazakhstan was mixed with Russian oil for obtaining standardized export grades – Russian export blend of crude oil (REBCO/Urals) and Siberian Light.
