Azerbaijan, Baku, April 19 / Trend, A. Akhundov /
Macedonia is interested in the implementation of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski told journalists in Baku on Friday.
"We have good opportunities for cooperation with Azerbaijan in the energy sector, given that Azerbaijan is considering opportunities of selecting routes for the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe, and one of them is near the border of Macedonia. We would like to avail ourselves of this project," Gruevski said.
The TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe.
Gas to be produced within the second phase of the Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for TAP.
TAP's initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic metres per year, but it is easily expandable to 20 billion cubic metres per year.
TAP's shareholders are AXPO of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E. ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).
In the case of selection of TAP as a final pipeline route to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe, the construction of the pipeline will start in 2015.
A final decision on route of Azerbaijani gas transportation to Europe will be taken in June 2013.
According to Gruevski, the purpose of his visit to Baku is strengthening of political and economic cooperation with Azerbaijan.
On Friday, Gruevski met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Economic Development Minister Shahin Mustafayev. He attended the business meeting with Azerbaijani entrepreneurs. Gruevski will meet with Prime Minister Artur Rasizade.