(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, December 3. Turkmenistan and Global Gas Center stepping up efforts to diversify its natural gas export routes, Trend reports via the country's Permanent Mission to UN.

The matter was addressed during discussions in Ashgabat between Batyr Amanov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, and Valérie Ducros, Executive Director of the Global Gas Center.

The dialogue centered on the expansion of export corridors, the enhancement of gas delivery security to global markets, and the deepening of regional energy cooperation. Amanov underscored Turkmenistan's readiness to intensify engagement with international energy institutions, reaffirming the country's role as a reliable supplier at both regional and global scales.

Turkmenistan's cooperation with the Global Gas Center takes place against the backdrop of its broader strategy to reduce dependence on a single export destination and to more effectively monetize its substantial natural gas reserves. The country possesses the world's fifth-largest proven natural gas reserves-approximately 400 trillion cubic feet (11.3 trillion cubic meters)-primarily concentrated in the Galkynysh field, the second-largest of its kind worldwide. Currently, over 70% of Turkmenistan's gas exports are directed to China via the Central Asia–China Gas Pipeline, which has a total annual capacity of 55 bcm. This high level of concentration renders the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in Chinese demand.

The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) pipeline remains the country's flagship diversification project. Designed to deliver 33 bcm annually over 1,814 km, it has seen renewed momentum, with Turkmenistan completing its domestic segment and Afghan construction ongoing since 2024.

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