Turkmenistan has renewed its call for a pipeline linking its vast natural gas fields to Europe, a long-mooted project that has gained new relevance as European countries seek to end their dependence on Russian energy.

Maksat Babayev, the chair of the state-owned gas company Turkmengaz, affirmed the country's strategic goal of increasing natural gas exports through diversified routes. 

“We’re always interested in diversifying export routes, including the Trans-Caspian route to Europe,” Babayev told AFP on Friday, October 24.

The former Soviet republic is one of the world's five largest holders of natural gas reserves. It currently sends the majority of its gas exports to China but is increasingly courting interest from Europe following Russia's war in Ukraine, which saw many European Union member states significantly slash imports from Russia. 

The idea of a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is not new. It has been discussed since the 1990s, but has been repeatedly hindered by significant financial and logistical hurdles. The proposed pipeline would run under the Caspian Sea to an existing terminal in Azerbaijan, creating a direct route to Western markets.

However, the project faces major obstacles. It would require significant foreign investment to construct, and its overall financial viability remains a key question for potential backers.

The pipeline has also faced long-standing political opposition from Russia, a dominant energy power in the region. These combined financial, logistical, and geopolitical challenges have so far prevented the decades-old idea from becoming a reality.

Last month, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan discussed the prospects of building the strategic pipeline, a move that could significantly reshape the region’s energy landscape.