"Southern Gas Corridor" , yet without Iran and Turkmenistan

The implementation of the project "Southern Gas Corridor" should not be in doubt, this  is general opinion expressed at a press conference in Baku after a meeting of the Advisory Board of the project. Azerbaijani Energy Minister, Natig Aliyev, said that gas pipeline TANAP and TAP  are  the basic elements of the project "Southern Gas Corridor", and they are interrelated. This is a mega-project, supported by the US and the EU, involving many billions of dollars and active participation of many countries and international financial institutions,  its complexity and scale is due to this.

In turn, the EU Vice-President for Energy Marcos Shefkovich noted that all project participants, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and the Balkan countries reaffirmed their readiness to fulfill their obligations, and the first gas in the framework of this project will go to Turkey, and from there to Europe  in 2018.

Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said that all Turkish companies and organizations involved in the project, continue to work, and   there are  no issues that  can affect its implementation.

Special envoy of the US State Department, Amos Hokshtayn,  said that the US and the EU will promote the participants in the matter of security  of the "Southern Gas Corridor".

Asking the question from Turan correspondent could they expect Iran’s and Turkmenistan’s joining the project as potential suppliers of gas, Hokshtayn noted that at the meeting in Baku the topic was not on the agenda, and therefore  was not discussed. -03В-