Azerbaijan, Baku, May 8 / Trend A.Badalova /
Significant progress has been made in negotiations between Ukraine and Turkey on gas supply and transportation, RBK-Ukraine reported with the reference to an anonymous source.
According to the source, the representatives of the Ukrainian-Turkish commission launched closed negotiations on new routes of gas transportation to Ukraine in Kiev this week.
The negotiations cover cooperation in energy sphere, in particular, alternative source of gas supply to Ukraine, the source said.
According to the source, this is the third meeting. First two were held in Turkey.
"Significant progress has been made, which was marked through signing of the protocol," the source said.
Earlier last weekUkrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov during the meeting with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said that Ukraine is ready to participate in the construction of the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP).
Azerbaijan and Turkey plan to create a pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border. At present the Turkish state owned energy company BOTAS has a 20 per cent stake in TANAP, while the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) holds 80 per cent in the project.
Turkish parliament is expected to ratify a memorandum of understanding signed earlier between Azerbaijan and Turkey on TANAP in the coming days.
The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters per year. About six billion cubic meters of the volume will be allocated to Turkey, while the rest will be transported to Europe.
According to Azarov, Ukraine is ready to make a financial contribution and provide pipes and compressor stations for TANAP.
He also stressed Ukraine attaches great importance to the cooperation in energy sphere since the country currently is actively involved in diversification of gas supply.
In April high ranking source in Ukraine's ministry of energy stated that the country plans to invest 790 million euros in Trans Caspian Pipeline project. According to the source, Ukraine is ready to invest up to 10 percent of the project's total cost if the pipeline is linked to LNG terminal Kulevi in Georgia.
The Trans-Caspian gas pipeline running to around 300 kilometers will be laid from the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijani one, where it will be linked to the Southern Gas Corridor.