EU should give due support, due attention to Azerbaijan: MEP

By  Trend

Azerbaijan is becoming an increasingly important hub for international transport and tourism, and of even greater significance is its growing role in the energy sector, Jan Zahradil, Vice Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) and President of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE), told EUROACTIV.

“It stands at a fault line of a major competition for resources between East and West; it is the starting point for the critical East-West energy corridor and its oil and gas pipelines supply neighboring countries and other further-reaching nations via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum routes,” he added.

Zahradil noted that furthermore, the geopolitically crucial Southern Gas Corridor project will open up another source of energy for Europe and will help diversify its energy supply, especially for Central and Eastern Europe.

“In simple terms, the strategic geopolitical importance of securing Azerbaijan as a reliable and stable partner is one that the EU cannot ignore. It should be paid due attention and given due support. Short-sighted, one-sided, one-issue resolutions must be replaced with more long-term strategic partnerships based on proper analysis of the geopolitical context and priorities. I have no doubt that Azerbaijan is ready for this, and I believe and hope that Europe is ready as well,” he added.

The Southern Gas Corridor, which costs more than $40 billion, is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

At the initial stage, the gas produced within the second phase of development of the Azerbaijani gas condensate field Shah Deniz is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

The gas in the second stage of the field development will be exported to Turkey and European markets through the expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the TANAP and TAP pipelines.