Azerbaijan, Baku, June 10 / Trend , E. Ismayilov/
Every additional pipeline contributes to energy security, NATO Economic Security Department Head Michel Gaul said to Trend while commenting on necessity of realization of Nabucco, TAP and ITGI projects in Baku.
"They are very important projects. To be able to diversify energy supplies is the most important," Gaul said.
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said earlier that all is interested in energy security, including the NATO countries that are major purchasers of energy in Europe. The interest of NATO to energy security has intensified due to the evolving international situation, various risk factors and the growing interest of NATO countries for energy sources.
The Nabucco project worth €7.9 billion will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Construction of the pipeline is expected to commence in 2010. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year.
Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.7 percent each.
ITGI can be an alternative gas pipeline for Azerbaijani. About 8-10 billion cubic meters of gas are required to fill it up, which is already produced only by Azerbaijan in a year. Moreover, ITGI has a pipeline connecting Turkey and Greece.
The gas pipeline will be ready to be operate after a section connecting Greece with Italy is built.
TAR, a pipeline running to Europe through Turkey, has almost the same characteristics.
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