Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 14
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
Acceleration of the IGB and TAP projects was reviewed by the US Department of State's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, Greece's Environment and Energy Minister Panos Skourletis and Bulgaria's Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova.
IGB, or the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, is a gas pipeline that will make it possible for Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijan's gas, in particular, the gas produced at Azerbaijan's 'Shah Deniz 2' field. IGB is expected to be connected to the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline), meant to deliver gas from 'Shah Deniz' to Europe's market. TAP, which is projected to be 870 kilometers long, will transport gas from the Caspian region through Greece, Albania and Adriatic Sea to southern Italy, and further to the west of Europe.
Hochstein earlier arrived in Athens, Greece, to discuss energy cooperation and energy security of Europe.
Greek news website Real.gr reported Oct. 14 that during Hochstein's meeting with ministers, Skourletis highlighted the strategic importance of the TAP project.
The minister also touched upon the issue regarding the increase of transit benefit from the project for Greece.
In particular, the minister spoke about the compensation for the pipeline's running through forest areas and public lands.
The meeting also discussed the financing for the IGB project.
Skourletis noted that Bulgaria and Greece will hold a ministerial-level meeting in Sofia to discuss the IGB project.
Hochstein, in turn, said the US has interest in continuing cooperation with Greece on that country's energy security.
He further highlighted the role Greece can play as a strategic partner in the region.
Hochstein also urged the Greek government and the TAP consortium to openly discuss all the discrepancies to commonly find a solution.
He expressed hope that an agreement will also be soon signed on the IGB project.
Edited by CN