An inauguration ceremony for a natural gas pipeline between Turkmenistan and Iran was held Jan. 6 in southeastern Turkmenistan, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimukhammedov present. Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz also attended the ceremony after meeting with both leaders in a previously unannounced visit to Ashgabat, reportedly at Berdimukhammedov's invitation, the day before. This pipeline's debut had been planned for quite some time. However, Yildiz's presence at the ceremony raises the possibility that new energy routes and players could significantly alter the region's energy dynamic and create fierce competition. The new natural gas pipeline is the second energy link between Turkmenistan and Iran. Iran previously imported 6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan. With the new pipeline, that amount is set to increase to 12 bcm in 2010 and then to as much as 18-20 bcm in 2011.