Minister: TANAP Will Help Azeri Gas to Reach European Borders

Azeri Minister for Energy Natiq Aliyev has said that the Trans Anatolian pipeline (TANAP) is very important to bring gas from Azerbaijan to European borders.

Speaking yesterday to reporters, Minister Aliyev said that the pipeline would build on an existing relationship with Turkey and help to bring Azeri gas to the Turkish borders.

"Reaching borders of Europe is important, following which the country (Azerbaijan) will be able to diversify its gas supply routes throughout Europe," Turkish Weekly reports him as saying.

"To ensure Azerbaijani gas supply to Europe, all the necessary work will be conducted to expand the existing gas transportation infrastructure and construction of a new gas pipeline, which is designed to transport gas from the eastern to the western borders of Turkey."

The $7 billion Trans Anatolian pipeline is being constructed by Azeri gas company SOCAR and Turkish companies TPAO and BOTAS, which hold an 80 per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent stake respectively.

The pipeline was originally expected to begin in 2014. Last week, however, president of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev said that construction would begin on TANAP by late-2013.