The proposed Trans-Caspian gas pipeline aligns seamlessly with U.S. foreign policy goals, including the "Trump Route" (TRIPP), which aims to connect Europe with Central Asia via the South Caucasus, according to Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, writing for Arab News, as cited by Report.
During a recent visit to Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, following a landmark peace agreement with Armenia in Washington, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, chairman of Turkmenistan’s People’s Council. The symbolic choice of Turkmenbashi, a key Caspian port and gateway to the West, underscores its potential as a launch point for a trans-Caspian pipeline to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, the South Caucasus, and ultimately Europe. Discussions likely focused on energy and transit cooperation, including the long-envisioned pipeline project.
Proposed since the 1990s, the Trans-Caspian pipeline has faced significant geopolitical hurdles despite being technically feasible. Spanning roughly 280 km across the Caspian Sea, the pipeline offers a cost-effective alternative to liquefied natural gas shipping. However, Russia and Iran have historically opposed the project, citing environmental concerns and the Caspian’s unclear legal status to protect their energy market dominance. Their objections stem from the pipeline’s potential to bypass their transit routes, reducing their geopolitical leverage.
Europe’s push to diversify energy sources following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has renewed interest in the pipeline. Azerbaijan, a key player in the Southern Gas Corridor, sees the project as a way to strengthen its role as an energy hub. For Turkmenistan, currently reliant on gas exports to China, the pipeline offers a chance to access lucrative European markets and diversify its economy amid financial pressures.
Coffey suggests that U.S. diplomacy, particularly under President Donald Trump, could play a pivotal role. Fresh off brokering the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, Trump could leverage his diplomatic momentum to advocate for the pipeline, aligning it with the TRIPP initiative to enhance regional connectivity through Türkiye and the South Caucasus. Historical precedent exists: in the 1990s, President Bill Clinton supported projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which opened Caspian resources to global markets and stabilized the region.
Beyond economics, the pipeline could foster regional cooperation and stability. Kazakhstan’s increasing oil shipments across the Caspian to Azerbaijan signal a shift toward east-west transit routes, driven by the need to bypass Russian infrastructure. With Russia preoccupied by the Ukraine conflict and Iran facing internal and external challenges, opposition to the pipeline has weakened, creating a rare window of opportunity.
If realized, the Trans-Caspian pipeline could transform the region by securing Europe’s energy supply, generating new revenue for Turkmenistan, and promoting stability across Eurasia. The project’s success now hinges on the political will to capitalize on this favorable geopolitical moment.
https://report.az/en/energy/construction-of-trans-caspian-gas-pipeline-to-receive-new-impetus-amidst-implementation-of-tripp