Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 2 / Trend A.Badalova /
The construction of the Trans Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) will be a great step forward for Azerbaijan, leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy and member of Trend Expert Council, Ariel Cohen believes.
"I am sure that sooner or later it (TANAP) is going to be constructed and that it will be a great step forward for Azerbaijan because it will provide another whole stream of money for Azerbaijan and economic development and improvement of living standard," Cohen said in interview with Trend.
The construction of TANAP will be also good for Turkey because it makes Turkey even more serious transit country for energy, Cohen believes.
"And it will be good for Europe because it gives Europe an additional and alternative source of pipe gas not from Russia but from stable Caspian region," Cohen added.
TANAP project envisages construction of the pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border to supply gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field to Europe through Turkey.
On June, 26 Azerbaijan and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on TANAP implementation.
At present, a 20 per cent share in TANAP belongs to Turkish BOTAS, 80 per cent and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters a year. About six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey, and the rest - to Europe.