Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 18 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
The infrastructure for transporting gas to Europe under the second stage of development of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz offshore gas condensate field must be ready by 2016-2017, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Roland Kobia said at a press conference today.
He added that the South Energy Corridor, including such projects as Nabucco, ITGI, TAP, and White Stream, is important for diversifying the EU's gas supply sources and routes.
Nabucco and ITGI are priority projects for the EU, he said. More EU countries will be provided with gas only after these projects are implemented. Azerbaijan will be able to sell gas in large volumes.
Azerbaijan is considered the main supplier of gas under the South Energy Corridor projects. The country will act not only as an exporting country, but also as a country transiting gas from third countries. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan are among these countries, he said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan, as well as Europe, is interested in diversifying gas supply routes. This will allow the country to sell gas at higher prices, as Russia does now.
Russia is a strategic partner of Europe, he said, noting that the EU is a major buyer of Russian gas. However, the EU and other suppliers have the right to hold talks to realize new projects, he said.
He added that the EU stands against a monopoly in any sphere, particularly the energy sector. There is a competition even among projects in the South Energy Corridor because each company-participant can independently negotiate and implement projects, he said.