Baku, Azerbaijan, July 15
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
Another step towards the implementation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline project has been made - the first high level meeting of the Working Group on the project was held in Brussels on July 14.
"Yesterday's meeting on pure working level was a follow-up to the visit of Vice President Maros Sefcovic in Ashgabat earlier this year," the source in the European Commission told Trend on July 15 without giving any concrete details on the meeting and the schedule of the next one.
However, the source added that the meeting followed-up discussions on the joint statement on the development of cooperation in the field of energy between Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the EU, which was adopted in Ashgabat on 1 May 2015.
Georgia also attended the first meeting of the Working Group.
The Working Group which was established at the level of deputy ministers in charge of energy sphere of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the EU, considers organizational, legal, commercial, technical and other issues, related to natural gas supply from Turkmenistan to Europe.
The Trans-Caspian pipeline project is regarded as the optimal option for delivering Turkmen resources to European markets. The project envisages the laying of around 300 kilometers long gas pipeline under the Caspian to the shores of Azerbaijan.
Further Turkmen can be transported to Turkey which has mutual borders with European countries.
The project may be implemented as a part of huge Southern Gas Corridor project designed to transport gas from the Caspian region to European countries.
The gas to be produced within the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field development is designed to open the Southern Gas Corridor.