Patrick Ventrell, Acting Deputy Spokesperson
Today, the consortium developing Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz gas field announced its selection of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) to deliver its gas to Europe. This is a major accomplishment for Azerbaijan and a major step forward in implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, which will deliver Caspian gas to European consumers.
The Southern Corridor, which will include an expansion of the South Caucasus pipeline across Azerbaijan and Georgia and the Trans-Anatolian pipeline across Turkey, will bring a new source of gas supply to Europe, a goal the United States strongly supports. This reflects Europe’s efforts to diversify its energy resources, including the bold steps toward competition and trade embodied in the EU’s Third Energy Package, an important set of regulatory measures issued in 2009. The selection of TAP as the means to link Caspian gas to Europe is another important step in the process of advancing Europe’s energy security and promoting competition in the supply of energy resources.
While the Southern Gas Corridor focuses on supplies to Europe, it also represents an important contribution to global energy security. By bringing Caspian gas to international markets, this initiative will contribute to meeting global energy demand, which is critical to sustaining economic growth. The United States sees the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor in this wider context.
We congratulate the Government of Azerbaijan and the Shah Deniz consortium on achieving this important milestone.
