The
European Union will take a further step towards the diversification of energy
sources and security of supply when it discusses the implementation of the
Southern Gas Corridor in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
European
Commission Vice-President for the Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič was expected to
fly to Baku later on Wednesday to attend the 4th meeting of the Southern Gas
Corridor Advisory Council.
“I am
looking forward to receiving a detailed update from the operators and consortia
on various projects of the Southern Gas Corridor,” Šefčovič said ahead of his
visit. “It has a strategic importance for the European energy security,
especially in the most vulnerable parts of Europe, such as South-East Europe
and Southern Italy. We all stand to gain from this ‘bridge’ between the EU
market and the Caspian region. In the long run, our objective is to create a
pan-European energy market based on free trade, competition and diversified
supplies, sources and routes,” the Vice President added.
The Southern
Gas Corridor Advisory Council gathers all main actors involved in the Southern
Gas Corridor, which is a strategic initiative that aims to bring Caspian,
Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and Black Sea gas resources to European markets.
According
to the European Commission, the meeting is crucial for streamlining the
development and implementation of the Corridor by bringing together all the
countries and stakeholders involved.
Ministers
from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece,
Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey will also attend, as invitations were
extended to the heads of the energy ministries of the relevant EU Member
States, partner countries. and international financing institutions.
Šefčovič
will hold bilateral talks with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on the
sidelines of the meeting.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/baku-eu-spearheads-efforts-bring-caspian-gas-europe/