Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan finalised a landmark agreement on Thursday to build a pipeline to transport gas to Russia, tightening Moscow’s control over Central Asian gas exports.

The deal comes at a time of intense competition for the region’s rich energy resources. Dubbed Pricaspiysky, the new pipeline will skirt the east coast of the Caspian Sea carrying 20bn cubic metres a year of Turkmen and Kazakh gas north to Russia’s Saratov region.