On 25 August German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. Gas supplies from the Azerbaijan to Europe were the key topic on the negotiations’ agenda.
At the press conference to summarize the results of the summit President Ilham Aliev was asked about the prospects for the construction of the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan along the bottom of the Caspian Sea with its further transportation to Europe.
According to TASS, Aliev responded that the decision on the Trans-Caspian pipeline should be made by the country, which owns gas reserves.
“Needles to say, the gas owner should be more interested in the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, whereas transit countries should not come up with any initiative If in the Eastern Caspian nation decides to supply its gas overseas through the territory of Azerbaijan we could consider this option with keen interest.
However, this should not be our decision but the decision made by the opposite side”, — Azerbaijan’s leader said and for some reason refrained from referring to Turkmenistan which shows obvious interest in this project.
Let us recall that on 12 August the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea was signed in Aktau, pursuant to which the nations are allowed to lay gas pipelines.
However, the Caspian region countries have the right to approve such a project only after they make sure it is environmentally safe.
If Turkmenistan manages to convince other countries that the safety of Trans-Caspian pipeline it could transport has to EU via the Southern Gas Corridor, stretching along Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.