Montenegro Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Luksic participated today, 12 June in Dubrovnik at the joint meeting of foreign ministers of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP) and the Ionian-Adriatic pipeline (IAP).
Ministers of Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatian, Greece and Italy have agreed that the strong political commitment and full support of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline to contribute to the further strengthening of regional energy stability, which is important for further overall development and prosperity.
They agreed that projects such as the Trans-Adriatic pipeline and Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline in accordance with the interests of the Energy Community and the objectives of the European Union which include diversification of transport routes, suppliers and sources of gas.
"It is planned that the TAP gas pipeline from Azerbaijan transferred from Greece to Italy via Albania - as an integral part of the southern gas corridor and in our opinion is a commercially attractive option," Rating the Ministers of these countries.
The ministers also agreed that their full support connecting TAP and IAP allows optimal gas supply southern Europe, and particularly in the region of South-East Europe. "We believe that this will contribute to further strengthening regional energy stability, which is important for further overall development and prosperity."
Vice Luksic said that Montenegro is committed to, as well as other countries of the Western Balkans as soon as possible and to successfully integrate into the European Union, and he believes that in this way supports the goals of European policy in the field of diversification of transport routes and sources of supply of energy resources, policy aiming at a higher degree of energy security in Europe.
Montenegro gives full support to this project, because it understands its importance for the overall development of the energy system in the region, and they recognize the opportunity for gasification of the whole country and the placement of their own potential sources of gas and gasification of certain towns in Montenegro "- said Luksic.
The meeting also discussed the obligations relating to the development, financing, construction and operation of TAP and IAP, and the preparation of market acceptance for Caspian gas.
Project Ionian-Adriatic pipeline aims gas networks linking countries in the Balkans. It is planned that the pipeline connects Fier (Albania) to Split (Croatia), passing through the territory of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Trans-Adriatic pipeline is 520 km long through Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and Italy's Puglia area to transport gas from the Caspian Sea to Western Europe.