Brussels, 16/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - The first discussions on European investments in the Turkmen oil and gas sector, and the details of an energy cooperation agreement between the EU and Turkmenistan, have seen positive results, announced European Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs, after his meeting, on the sidelines of the 12th international conference on oil and gas in Ashgabat, with the Turkmen President Gourbangouly Berdymoukhammedov (EUROPE 9544). “The response (of the Turkmen President: Ed) to the possibility of the EU buying gas directly from Turkmenistan was positive”, Mr Piebalgs assured the press, going on to state that no specific proposal for a gas pipeline was on the table at this stage. “We are continuing to look into the possibilities”, he continued. Apart from the question of direct gas supply, Mr Piebalgs and Mr Berdymoukhammedov discussed investment potential in exploration and the exploitation of Turkmen gas reserves on land and in the Caspian Sea. The EU hopes to convince Ashgabat jointly to build a pipeline under the Caspian Sea so that Turkmen gas can be supplied directly to the EU- without going via Russia and the future Nabucco pipeline- as the EU is prepared to buy Turkmen gas at a higher price than that paid by Moscow, which currently buys Turkmen gas at 100 dollars per thousand cubic meters. Doubts subsist as to the exact size of the gas reserves- which are without doubt immense- of Turkmenistan: a Western company has valued proven reserves at 2900 billion m³, whilst the Turkmen authorities have announced a total of 21,000 billion m³. (E.H.)