EU Official: Southern Gas Corridor a Winner for Both EU and Azerbaijan

The EU's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia has said that both the EU and Azerbaijan share a vision for opening up the Southern Gas Corridor, to the benefit of all involved.

Speaking at a gas conference today, the ambassador said that the opening of this corridor would help to diversify gas supply, reduce the need for imports from outside Europe and help to meet rising demands.

"The opening of the Southern Gas corridor will be the winning situation for the both sides," the Trend news agency reports the official as saying. "By linking these two markets through the Southern Gas Corridor, Azerbaijan will increase its diversification of export routes, as well the EU will diversify its import sources."

"The consumption, as well as the dependence of the EU on the import of fossil fuel will increase. The EU will need more gas in the future; that is why it is a potential market for the suppliers."

Ambassador Kobia also welcomed the cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan on the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), saying that it would help to make the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor a reality.

"The EU hopes that TANAP will be realised as soon as possible," he said.

Turkey and Azerbaijan first signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the pipeline in December of last year with an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the pipeline signed in June 2012. Last week, that agreement was made more official following the news that Turkish President Abdullah Gül had ratified the agreement.