Turkmenistan to establish naval base in Caspian section of country

PanARMENIAN.Net - President of Turkmenistan Gurbangulu Berdimuhamedov tasked all the law-enforcement ministries to organize a reliable protection of the Caspian Sea borders from attacks by the smugglers and terrorist groups.



Berdimuhamedov decided to establish a naval base in the Caspian section of the country by 2015, which will be supplied with modern monitoring equipment and ships with missiles on board. Also, an order was signed to establish a naval training institute in the town of Turkmenbashi.



"Turkmenistan, preserving constant neutrality, does not intend to use the naval base to solve territorial issues," Interfax cited Berdimuhamedov as saying.



Turkmenistan borders with Azerbaijan on the Caspian. Territorial disputes around oilfields were circulating between the states. In 2009, the issue was submitted to international justice for consideration. The issue could impede EU's plans for Nabucco pipeline construction, which Turkmenistan intended to join upon cessation of gas supplies to Russia in April 2009.