Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 22
By Maksim Tsurkov – Trend:
The management of the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR in late September will leave for Greece to discuss completion of the deal on SOCAR’s buying a 66-percent stake in the Greek national gas transmission system operator DESFA, head of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev told reporters in Baku Sept. 22.
“I wouldn’t like to talk about it now or spread rumors, because we respect the Greek side,” said Abdullayev. “We have been negotiating and we are waiting for proposals now. In late September 2016, we will hold a meeting in Greece with the country’s government, which will clarify future prospects.”
Earlier, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said that the deal on SOCAR's purchasing the 66-percent share in Greece's DESFA will be completed after Italy's Snam operator purchases 17 percent of that share.
Snam representative met with Greek energy ministry officials Aug. 20 and reiterated the Italian operator’s stance to be a part of privatization of the DESFA.
SOCAR won a tender on the purchase of a 66-percent stake in DESFA for 400 million euros in 2013.
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