Azerbaijan, Baku, March 16 /Trend, E.Ismayilov/
The European Union, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan will prepare two normative documents as part of the Southern Gas Corridor project, Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natik Aliyev said on Wednesday.
He said the first document is a political declaration. In this document, the sides will reaffirm their intentions in the creation of the Southern Gas Corridor.
The minister said the second document would be an intergovernmental agreement between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, and in it, the EU will act as an observer.
This document will define powers and obligations of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as part of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline via the Caspian seabed in order to develop the Southern Gas Corridor. "
The preparation of these documents will involve the EU experts and relevant agencies of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Energy, Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, as well as SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan).
The Declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso during Barroso's visit to Azerbaijan in mid-January this year.
The Southern Corridor is a priority EU energy project diversifying energy supply routes and sources and increasing EU energy security. The Southern Corridor includes the Nabucco gas pipeline, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), White Stream, and ITGI (Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline).
Construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan will provide routes of the Southern Corridor to the Turkmen gas.