MOSCOW. May 13 (Interfax) - An agreement to build a Caspian pipeline, signed in Turkmenbashi on Saturday, will strengthen Russia's positions in the energy dialogue with Europe, a Kremlin source said.

"Russia's position in the energy dialogue with the European Union has gained additional arguments. And the West has lost the argument while claiming that Russia is not buying Turkmen gas. The amount of gas to be shipped from Turkmenistan will now exceed our needs," he said.

The Kremlin source said he did not expect a negative reaction in the West to the documents signed.

"No Trans-Caspian gas pipeline is likely to emerge in the foreseeable future. Neither a feasibility study, nor a legal basis is available indicating in which direction the pipeline must be laid," he said.

Regarding the Caspian gas pipeline, the Kremlin believes that, "the amount of Turkmen gas is sufficient to fill this pipeline."

The Kremlin representative highly commended Turkmenistan's decision to invite Russian companies "to join the prospecting and development of offshore Caspian fields."

"This would be a step giving Russian companies an opportunity to work at Turkmen offshore sectors, not at disputable ones," he said.

The work on Turkmenistan's oil fields holds much promise, he said. "Given the characteristics of the oil lawyers, a lot of associated gas will be produced," he said.

The construction of the Caspian gas pipeline "can in fact be launched tomorrow. An infrastructure is in place, land has been allotted and other work has been done to lay a third branch of the Central Asia -Center system," the Kremlin source said.