European Energy Ministers to visit Azerbaijan

EU makes every effort to develop its own strategy to ensure delivery of energy resources to the southeastern countries of Europe, EU Energy Commissar Shefchovich said in his interview to The Wall Street Journal.

He believes that Russia’s plans to build a new gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine through Turkey will not work.

“I am sure that Russia must re-consider this option and find a viable economic solution, which will be acceptable for the European partners as well,” Shefchovich said.

At the end of February 2015 the European Commission will release its vision of the Energy Union, which is Shefchovich’s main project on his position. A wide-scale preparation for the process has already started.

Energy Ministers of the European countries will hold talks in Sofia on February 9 and right after that they plan to visit Baku. Azerbaijan is an important alternative supplier of energy resources for the EU.

The EU plan of the Energy Union will be worked out in detail after the meeting in Baku. The draft of the plan of construction of the gas pipelines-interconnectors between the EU member-states will be also submitted after that.

According to Turan, the visit of the Energy Ministers of the European countries to Baku will coincide with the first session of the Coordination Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, which was announced by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on January 21, 2015.—0—