Ilham Aliyev: "Southern gas corridor is a project connecting the countries, bringing benefit to producers, transit parties and consumers"

Baku. 23 July. REPORT.AZ/ "We are good partners with Europe, and the project of the Southern gas corridor the implementation of which was given start in September of the last year in Baku is actively realized now. Azerbaijan became the initiator of this project and actively works with partners, neighboring countries and investors for timely implementation of the project. We have huge reserves of gas. Our confirmed reserves of gas make about 2,6 trillion cubic meters. Gas reserves on the Shahdeniz field which is the only resource for the Southern gas corridor make more than 1 trillion cubic meters. Thus, our resources will be enough for equipment of the European consumers with natural gas for decades. The Southern gas corridor is the project connecting the countries, bringing benefit to producers, the transit parties and consumers. I consider that we managed to find the correct balance between three segments of this energy project".

Report informs, this was stated at the press conference by the President Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev he held jointly with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk in Baku on July 22.

The Head of State also spoke of the energy security issues. He said: "In March of this year, started construction of the TANAP project which is part of the project of the Southern gas corridor. The works go according to the schedule. It is the project of energy security. Today, energy security can't be separated from national security of the countries. It is the project of power diversification as the Southern gas corridor is not only diversification of the routes of supply, but also that it is more important, it is diversification of the sources of supply. Azerbaijan plays its role thanks to the resources, infrastructure and experience of realization of such mega-energy projects. We are very glad that the role of Azerbaijan in this area found reflection in the documents accepted recently by the European Union".