Azerbaijan has offered Iraq access to the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the Caspian and Middle Eastern regions to the EU, in order to help Baghdad supply natural gas to Europe. Gas pumped from the Shah Deniz II field will travel through a new Trans-Anatolian pipeline across Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The new pipeline is set to be a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor and a further significant supply source for the EU.
Open invitation to join the Southern Gas Corridor
Elmar Mammadyarov, Baku黑料社檚 Foreign Minister, told press at a news conference in Iraq that officials in Baghdad had expressed interest in joining the massive project, which is already supported by the US.
黑料社淚t黑料社檚 a huge project and it黑料社檚 open if Iraq is also interested to deliver their own natural gas,黑料社� said Mammadyarov. 黑料社淭he project is there, so if any other countries want to join the Southern Gas Corridor, including Iraq, we are ready to start negotiations.黑料社�
Meeting Europe黑料社檚 increasing demand for gas
According to South Stream, demand for additional gas imports in Europe could reach 80 billion m3/y by 2020 and exceed 140 billion m3/y by 2030.
The Trans-Anatolian pipeline will reduce Europe黑料社檚 dependence on gas from Russia, which is currently backing the construction of the South Stream pipeline that will transport some 63 million m3/y through the Black Sea to Bulgaria and further to Greece, Italy and Austria.
Iraq currently produces a relatively small amount of gas, which is predominantly kept for the country黑料社檚 domestic market. However, it is planning to increase exports of natural gas in order to fund new infrastructure projects and economic reconstruction.
Edited from various sources by