Azerbaijan can consider potentiality of its role as a transit country of Turkmen gas, Trend cites the Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev as saying during a seminar dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Contract of the Century.
“In this process, Azerbaijan could be potentially a transit country. But of course, this is not a decision of Azerbaijan. In this case, exporter and importer should make that decision,” Hajiyev said regarding the transit of Turkmen gas through Azerbaijan. “If that decision is taken, Azerbaijan can consider the potentiality of its role as a transit country. But of course, the final decision should be made by other sides.”
In turn, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Elnur Soltanov noted that Azerbaijan’s stance on Trans-Caspian Pipeline is very clear. “It is not Azerbaijani gas. For the gas that belongs to third countries, we are definitely there to help as a transit country in the case, if there is an initiative," the deputy minister added.
The signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea by five Caspian states in 2018 paved the way for the construction of Trans-Caspian – an undersea gas pipeline that would transport Turkmen natural gas to Azerbaijan and from there to Europe.
During the inaugural Caspian Economic Forum, which lasted from August 11-12 in Avaza National Tourist Zone, the Euro-Chinese consortium’s representative Edison Kasapoglu proposed the construction project of 300 km undersea pipeline to Turkmen officials. The sides agreed to meet again in the near future to discuss the project in more details and to explore existing and future mechanisms for the further implementation of new investment projects in Turkmenistan.
