Baku, Azerbaijan, March 17
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
The European Commission is confident in the joint commitment to the successful implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region to the EU markets, the Commission's spokesperson told Trend.
"The Commission is confident in the joint commitment to the successful implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, also in the context of the recent Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council meeting held in Baku last February," the spokesperson said.
With regard to the laying of the foundation for the TANAP's (Trans Anatolian gas pipeline) construction in the Turkish province of Kars on March 17, the spokesperson said that the Commission Vice President Maroš Sefcovic's visit to the groundbreaking ceremony of this pipeline underlines the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor to the EU.
"The recently adopted Energy Union Strategy explicitly states that the EU wishes to establish strategic energy partnerships with increasingly important energy producing and transit countries, among them Turkey," the spokesperson added.
The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP, is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which plans to carry natural gas sourced in Azerbaijan to Europe through Turkey. The construction of the Turkish-leg of the TANAP will begin on Tuesday in Kars, located in northeastern Turkey.
The Turkish minister for European Union affairs Volkan Bozkir and the vice-president of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic have met in Ankara on March 16, to discuss further cooperation in energy. It is expected that Turkey and the EU will sign a memorandum of understanding on March 17, which will be focused on connecting European energy markets and natural sources from the Middle East and the Caspian Sea.
The TANAP project envisages the transportation of gas of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field from the Georgian-Turkish border to the western borders of Turkey.
TANAP's initial capacity is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas will be delivered to Turkey and the rest of the volume to Europe.
Turkey will obtain gas in 2018. The gas will be supplied to Europe in early 2020 after the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is constructed. Aygun Badalova is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow her on Twitter:@AygunBadalova