The rapprochement of Ankara and Moscow could threaten the "Southern Gas Corridor" , WSJ

EU plans to reduce dependence on natural gas supplies from Russia due to its export from Azerbaijan are under threat in the light of recent agreements between Ankara and Moscow, stated the newspaper The Wall Street Journal. "Russia and Turkey have shown intention to resume work on a gas pipeline linking them, which can negate the efforts of the EU to reduce its dependence on Russian gas supplies from Azerbaijan," the newspaper notes. Leaders of Turkey and Russia at a meeting in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, "made it clear that the possibility for the construction of the gas pipeline" Turkish Stream "reappeared". "It will be a blow to Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev said that he wanted to turn his country into a major exporter of gas."

 The EU and Azerbaijani officials talked about the benefits of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor "for transportation of gas from Azerbaijan to Italy via Turkey and Greece.

The construction of the Southern Gas Corridor is already underway, and it is expected that the first delivery of natural gas to Europe will be at the end of 2019. However, if  the  "Turkish Stream" is launched , which should also be ready in 2019, "maybe that would not make sense to expand as it had been  planned, the capacity of the" Southern Gas Corridor, says American edition. In turn, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish television channel TRT,  that in St. Petersburg was addressed the issue of a possible merger of TANAP gas pipeline and "Turkish Stream".

Official Baku has not commented on these reports, although the TANAP is the main link in the "Southern Gas Corridor", through which Azerbaijani gas will be supplied to Turkey and Europe. -02D-