Azerbaijan stepping up positions in Europe
Gas import from the Caspian region is one of the priority points of the European energy security program.
Azerbaijan continues active negotiations on gas supply to the Balkan countries, Counselor of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia Mahir Jafarov told Trend.
He expressed hope that Serbia, just like Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, will begin the corresponding negotiations with Azerbaijan on gas purchase.
“Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, being candidates for joining the European Union, are responsible for fulfilling the requirements for diversifying energy sources,” he said. “These requirements, in turn, create prospects for these countries to purchase Azerbaijani gas through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).”
Jafarov recalled that there are plans to supply Azerbaijan’s gas to Greece and Bulgaria in 2020. A memorandum of understanding for the construction of a gas pipeline between Bulgaria and Serbia was also signed, he said.
The energy sector constitutes the economic foundation of relations between Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries and is important for the further development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the region as a whole.
Azerbaijan will be able to increase gas supplies to the Balkans. Bulgaria expects to receive Azerbaijani gas through the Interconnector GreeceBulgaria (IGB), a gas pipeline that will be connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Bulgaria can act not only as an end-user, but also a reliable transit country for Azerbaijan which will be able to optimize the supply of gas not only to Bulgaria but to the whole region.
Estimated at 4.5 billion euros, TAP is a part of Southern Gas Corridor project, that envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz-2 gas field to Greece and southern Italy across the Adriatic Sea through Greece and Albania, and involves designing, construction and operation of the natural gas pipeline.
The initial capacity of TAP will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year with the possibility of doubling it.
TAP shareholders include BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
The TAP project is one of the strategic objectives of the EU in the energy security and diversification of energy sources, chosen as the shortest and direct way to export natural gas from Azerbaijan to the European markets.
Azerbaijan important for Europe
Commenting on Montenegro’s decision to open a representative office in Baku, the counselor remarked that the decision was made in December last year during the 103rd government session chaired by Prime Minister Dusko Markovic.
Jafarov stressed the importance of Montenegro, a European country, opening its diplomatic office in Baku.
“This is the result of a successful foreign policy pursued by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and yet another confirmation of our country’s significance for Europe,” he said.
Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Montenegro were established in April 2008. The document, signed on April 24 in Vienna, provides for fruitful cooperation between the two countries and strengthening friendly relations in the interests of the peoples of two states.
Jafarov noted that the Serbian side was also reminded of the relevant paragraph of the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and Serbia, signed in May 2018 by the heads of both countries, which doesn’t allow the sale of goods and services produced in the occupied Azerbaijani territories in Serbia.
As a result of urgent measures, these products were once and for all removed from the Duty Free shelves in the Belgrade airport and in Serbia in general, he said.
On support to Azerbaijanis living in the Balkans
Jafarov stressed that the embassy is constantly in contact with the Azerbaijanis living in Serbia and in the Western Balkans, invites them to participate in the events held by the embassy and also constantly updates them about the current events in Azerbaijan.
“We keep close contacts with our students studying in these countries, compatriots living and working there,” he said. “We are interested in each of them individually; we get acquainted with the conditions of education, work and residence on the spot and also support them within our possibilities.”
He stressed that the ongoing work is based on the tasks set by President Ilham Aliyev to the embassies and representative offices to care and pay attention to every Azerbaijani living abroad.