At a time when the European Union, NATO, the United States and Russia are busy Ukrainian crisis in Brussels, discussed the project "southern gas corridor".
The West and Russia, providing Europe with gas at 40%, bumped into each other again in the Ukrainian crisis. In an effort to get rid of dependence on Russia, the EU with doubled forces took up the search for alternative ways.
Natural gas and oil is 50% of item of income of the Russian federal budget. Again note that 40% of the EU's natural gas imports from Russia, with 66% of Russian gas supplies to the EU are carried out through the territory of Ukraine. Gas demand for Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Bulgaria Russia provides for 100%, and the largest economy in Europe, like Germany, is at 40%.
In such a situation, the EU countries need to seek new and alternative ways to meet their needs for natural gas.
Last week in Brussels at the Centre of attention of the experts was "Southern gas corridor" involving the transportation of Azerbaijani shahdeniz field (its reserves are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters) to Europe via Turkey.
At a forum on the theme "Southern gas corridor: opportunities and challenges" discussed the strengthening of the southern gas corridor to reduce the EU's dependence on Russian energy, and supplementing of Azeri gas from other sources of energy in the Caspian region, as well as Iraq and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Caspian Forum held in the capital of the European Parliament the Caspian strategic Institute, energy sector specialists were unanimous in their opinion that the latest crisis broke out once again "the role of pipelines that will transport the gas to Europe through Turkey.
Southern gas corridor adds a new dimension to geopolitics, which supplies the energy map of Eurasia. In Brussels, discussed the opportunities that this creates a corridor for Europe, as well as the draft TANAP (essential link of the southern gas corridor) and the trans Adriatic pipeline project to transmit gas from Azerbaijan Turkish border in Europe.
The Secretary-General of the Caspian strategic Institute Khaldoun Âvaš said: "After the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine the EU stronger realized value of the southern gas corridor. The crisis has again reminded the Europeans about the need for a pipeline passing through Turkey.
The representative of the Azerbaijani State oil company SOCAR in Brussels Vusal Mammadov stressed that the sale of gas to Europe, Azerbaijan had identified as its "strategic objectives", and continued: "the latest events in Ukraine even more increased role of supply of Caspian gas to Europe, but even if these events were not, in any event, this issue would be important. Thanks to the southern gas corridor EC will have access to a completely new gas deposit. "
It is expected that 2018 year annual supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe via the Transanatolijskij pipeline would amount to 16 billion cubic meters; of these 6 billion will go to consumption in Turkey, 10 billion is for sale in the EU. According to some forecasts, in the year 2025 this figure will rise to 25 billion cubic metres per year.
Italian MEP Vittorio Prodi underlined that the existence of the only country providing demand for natural gas, strategically wrong. The EU was able to get rid of dependence on Russian gas, it is necessary to pay attention to the Southern gas corridor. In this regard, Prodi said: "southern gas corridor is a very important part of our political freedoms, because we do not want to face a possible limit the supply in the gas sphere in various political causes. At the same time, Attaché, Permanent Mission of Greece to the EU Theodore Christopoulos drew attention to the fact that "diversification of sources of gas purchase will allow the EU to ensure its energy security."
Stressing that about 74% of world reserves of natural gas is around Turkey, Deputy General Director of the Turkish company by BOTAŞ Ibrahim Said in a speech at the Forum, ARINC said that Turkey will play a key role in ensuring further EU demand for natural gas and security proposals in the gas field.
So, the Russian Southern gas corridor antidote-to represent the artery for Azeri gas supplies to Europe, laid on September 20. According to the order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev alienation of lands for the southern gas corridor will hold Asan Xidmət.
Thus, a week later, will begin implementation of the project, which eventually will be able to pass through pipelines SCPX, TANAP and TAP 25 billion cubic meters of gas. Commissioning-2017 year.
Serious application for place monopoly Gazprom, which already this year did not significantly profit dosčitalsâ. However, given the inadequacy of current Russian authorities, it is possible that you will not be able to implement the project as scheduled.
If a sober look at things, amid geopolitical ambitions, Putin defended and their personal interests. Southern gas corridor overlaps another source of income to the withering of Russia, which soon its oil and gas will sell cows in suzdal. But because the promotion of Karabakh conflict for the Kremlin may become a priority in the coming months.
