Azerbaijan, Baku, June 21 /Trend A. Badalova/
Azerbaijan is considered as an important partner in the issues of energy security by the European institutions, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the press conference on the outcome of the meeting with the president of European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the official website of the European Commission reported.
The President of Azerbaijan noted that the sides have broadly discussed the issues of energy and security.
"Since we met the last time, there was a very positive development in this area. The announcement of TANAP project creates additional opportunities for successful implementation of Southern Gas corridor. And hopefully the decisions that will be made soon, will create excellent conditions for implementation of these important energy projects, which will completely change the energy map of Europe," he said.
Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan will find long-term, predictable gas market in Europe, and Europe will find alternative source of gas from Azerbaijan, for long term, for decades ahead.
"Close partnership in this area, especially in the time of implementation of the Southern Gas corridor, is vital. Also of course we discussed the issues of regional security, regional stability. Azerbaijan, I think, plays more and more stabilizing role in the region, and hopefully in the coming years we will see many positive developments," he said.
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 to be produced during the second phase of the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.
Currently, the Shah Deniz consortium considers two options for its gas transportation to Europe - TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline) and Nabucco West. The final decision on the pipeline route will be made in June, 2013.