The vice-president of the European Commission with responsibility for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, and the president of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, both sent video messages to the fourth International Energy Forum of the Caspian Region in Baku on Wednesday 12 April on the key role of the southern gas corridor for energy security in Europe.
Šefčovič stressed progress in this titanic project aiming to transport gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe via the Caucasus from Azerbaijan, saying that all the contracts had been signed and concrete construction work had begun for all the infrastructure projects.
He said this progress was the fruit of efforts and commitments by all the stakeholders involved, and also a result of the favourable atmosphere created for implementation of the project. He said he was confident that the EU would receive gas from Azerbaijan in 2020, which would be of crucial importance for diversification of the EU’s energy supplies.
Grabar-Kitarović stressed the importance for European countries of diversifying their energy supplies with the aid of Azerbaijani gas.
‘Despite certain achievements, the EU remains vulnerable in this matter, especially when it comes to the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Baltic region,’ Grabar-Kitarovic said, adding that ‘expanding cooperation in the energy sector will allow Europe to feel more secure and competitive.’
‘The Southern Gas Corridor project is very important for the EU, its energy security and diversification of energy supplies, and that’s why Azerbaijan is an important partner for Europe,’ continued Grabar-Kitarović, adding that cooperation with Azerbaijan was ‘of great importance’ not only for Croatia, but also for the country’s neighbours.
The Southern Gas Corridor stakeholders confirmed their support for the project at the third meeting of the advisory council on the Southern Gas Corridor, which took place in Baku on 23 February, each providing assurances that the work would be completed on schedule (see EUROPE 11733).
Totalling $40 billion, the Southern Gas Corridor project will transport ten billion cubic metres of gas from Shah Deniz-2 in the Azerbaijani Caspian Sea to Europe via Georgia and Turkey.
It relies on three other infrastructure projects, the Southern Caucasus gas pipeline (SCP) that will link up Azerbaijan and Turkey via Georgia, the Transanatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), which will cross Turkey, and the Transadriatic gas pipeline (TAP), which will go from Turkey to Italy via Greece and Albania. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)