Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 6 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
Azerbaijan's decision on gas supplies to Europe will benefit to both parties, David Merkel, Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations - John Hopkins University in the US and Former US State Department and National Security Council Senior official believes.
"The decision has increased the connection between Azerbaijan and Europe and is going to be a benefit to both Europe and Azerbaijan," Merkel said in an interview with Trend.
Azerbaijan's role in diversification of energy supplies has increased, he said.
According to Merkel, it is early to give assessment to the role of the other countries of the Caspian Sea region in ensuring Europe's energy security.
"We do not know yet if the countries on the other side of the Caspian Sea -Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan will try to send its gas across the Caspian Sea," he said.
Merkel does not rule out that Central Asian gas will go not to Europe but to China and to the South, and Pakistan and India in particular.
The Southern Corridor is one of the EU's priority energy projects aimed at diversifying the routes and sources of energy supply, thereby increasing secure delivery.
Gas which will be produced during the second stage of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.
Currently, the Shah Deniz consortium is considering two variants for its gas transportation to Europe - Tran Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Nabucco West. The final decision on the pipeline route will be made in June 2013.