The stranglehold that Russia has long had on gas supply in Europe may be loosening, Business News Europe reports.

According to the news group, the country has had to make a number of concessions to ex-soviet countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan as they have demanded more competitive prices for the gas they supply to the Russian market.

Turkmenistan also made significant steps towards a more competitive gas supply market in Europe when it signed a memorandum with German utilities provider RWE, one of the six members of the Nabucco pipeline project, which will bring gas to western markets without passing through Russia if it is fully approved.

RWE confirmed that, in addition to signing preliminary agreements on gas exports, the company had also committed to investing in technical training for Turkmen workers specialising in the oil and gas industry.

Western European countries have long been looking for a more stable gas supply, with concerns about Russian exports brought into sharp relief at the beginning of this year when the country shut off gas to Ukraine, sparking a resultant fuel shortage across the continent.

Global Education and Training event for Oil and Gas: Refining and Petrochemicals