Istanbul, Turkey, Dec.5
By Abbas Akhundov - Trend:
Azerbaijan and Turkey should strengthen cooperation in the energy sphere, as under the conditions of increasing demand for natural resources in Europe, the significance of this partnership will only rise, Turkish Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said speaking at the Caspian Forum in Istanbul on Dec.5.
With the implementation of Trans-Anatolian pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP) projects, a very serious chain is being created for natural gas supply from the Caspian basin to Europe," Yildiz said.
"Currently, the natural gas consumption in Europe amounts to 500-520 billion cubic meters and this figure is expected to hit 700 billion cubic meters by 2030,: he said. "This increases the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor to which Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq can make contributions to," the minister said.
"Additionally, gas consumption in Turkey will increase to 50-52 billion cubic meters in the coming years," according to Yildiz.
"Today around 83 percent of the Turkish population has access to gas and the whole country will be gasified by 2015," the minister said.
The third Caspian Forum organized by the Caspian Strategic Institute (HASEN) brought together the senior officials, representatives of companies and leading experts from all over the world.
The projects in the spheres of energy, transport, and finance in the Caspian Sea region are being discussed and the opportunities for future cooperation will be studied at the forum.