Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 November / Trend corr. A.Badalova / Azerbaijan is the most perspective country for the initiated South gas corridor, Andris Piebalgs, the European Union Energy Commissioner for, believes.
"Turkmenistan and Iraq display great interests to use of South corridor for transportation of its own gas to Europe, whilst Azerbaijan will become the most perspective country for it," Piebalgs said.
South corridor is a route to deliver gas from Central Asia, passing from the Caspian region via Turkey and to Europe. The corridor includes Transcaspian pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan and Nabucco gas pipeline, passing from Turkey via territories of Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Austria.
The Caspian region has not yet had many connecting gas pipelines, Piebalgs said.
"Even when Greece receives the first gas from Azerbaijan through recently opened Turkey-Greece section, it is necessary to open a real corridor for Central Asian countries to transport own gas to the European market," Piebalgs said. "The Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities agreed that if the Caspian and Central Asian countries want to sell their gas to the EU, conditions of transit should be clearly determined."
According to Pielbalgs, the first positive event on this matter is to sign intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco project at the beginning of 2009. The Turkish officials offered to hold signing ceremony in Turkey.
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