Azerbaijan 'an important EU partner' in Caspian region

Azerbaijan 'an important EU partner' in Caspian region

The EU's energy commissioner has reiterated Azerbaijan's importance to Europe both as a supplier of energy and a transit country.

The head of the EU office in Azerbaijan, Ambassador Roland Kobia, read out a message from Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger at the Gas Infrastructure World 2011 conference in Baku on Wednesday.

"Europe’s cooperation with the Caspian region, especially with Azerbaijan, is deepening. Europe needs more natural gas from more sources and the Caspian region can help us to solve this challenge," Oettinger says in his message.

Europe has now more interest in gas following the tragic events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the message continues.

"Therefore Europe needs alternative sources of supply. At the moment, Europe receives natural gas from Norway, Russia and Algeria. However, we want to create new alternative routes, and the Caspian region is important from this viewpoint. We plan to supply 90 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe via the Southern Corridor," the commissioner says, referring to routes for gas supplies to Europe that will bypass Russia.

"Azerbaijan will be a gas producer, as well as a transit country. We therefore consider the country as the key contributor to the Southern Corridor project."

The message notes that the Caspian region has more gas reserves than Russia.

Regarding Turkmenistan, Oettinger says the country has large gas reserves, but lacks an economically viable route to export these reserves. However, the situation may change.

"Europe attaches great importance to the Trans Caspian pipeline, which will allow the delivery of Turkmen gas to European markets," the commissioner says in his message. "Europe is committed to working with all partners in the Caspian region with a view to realizing the Southern Gas Corridor."

"We will further work to strengthen and develop the Southern Corridor."

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