China to construct gas pipeline through Kyrgyzstan by 2016 to buy Turkmen gas

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan.3 By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend: China will be able to use transit through Kyrgyzstan to purchase Turkmen gas from 2016 after commissioning of the new linear part of the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has recently ratified an agreement between the government of Kyrgyzstan and the government of China on cooperation in construction and commissioning of Kyrgyzstan - China gas pipeline, a message posted on the official website of Kyrgyz president said on Jan.2. China began to receive Turkmen gas in 2009 after the commissioning of Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which will give opportunity to bring the volume of Turkmen gas supplied to China to 40 billion cubic meters per year. In September 2013 it was reported that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was on a visit to Ashgabat, agreed on a fourth direction of the transnational Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline through the route via Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. This corresponds to an agreement between Ashgabat and Beijing on supplying additional 25 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas per year, which will give opportunity to bring the total volume to 65 billion cubic meters. The transit through the territory of Kyrgyzstan will be 225 kilometers. It is expected that the volume of investment from China through the territory of Kyrgyzstan will be about $1.2-$1.4 billion. It is planned to complete the construction of linear part of the gas pipeline by late 2016. Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency