'Azerbaijan actively involved in ensuring Europe's energy security '

An intergovernmental agreement on Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project (TANAP) signed between Turkey and Azerbaijan shows that no project can be implemented in the region without Azerbaijan's participation, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Political Analysis and Information Provision Department head Elnur Aslanov told reporters on Wednesday.

"The TANAP project signed in Turkey yesterday is really significant. This is a striking example of fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. This project once again emphasizes Azerbaijan's importance in the energy sector. Energy policy pursued by Azerbaijan in recent years, once again shows that it is completely transparent, and with its policy Azerbaijan is actively involved in ensuring Europe's energy security," Aslanov said.

When asked why Azerbaijan was pushed to the sidelines in the Nabucco project, he said that Azerbaijan does not want to make premature decisions.

Azerbaijan and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on Tuesday to implement the TANAP project worth about $7 billion. The document was signed with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

TANAP project envisages construction of the pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border to supply gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas field to Europe through Turkey. BOTAS has a 20-percent stake in TANAP, while the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) holds 80 percent in the project.

The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters a year. About six billion cubic meters will be delivered to Turkey, and the rest - to Europe.


/Trend/