OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2011.Traditional European Gas Conference was hosted in Vienna on January 25-28. The agenda of the conference covered such issues as European gas supply security, new alternative gas sources and transportation opportunities, Russia’s role in European gas supply, and importance of Caspian region in the context of European energy security.

The conference was attended by Austrian Federal Minister for Economy R. Mitterlehner, former German Foreign Minister J. Fischer, Russian State Duma deputy chairman and Head of the Gas Society V. Yazev, Turkish Deputy Minister of Energy S. Chimen, Secretary General of the Energy Charter A. Mernier, Eurogas Special Envoy S. Blakey, as well as other representatives of international organizations, gas companies and markets, scientists and mass media.

Head of SOCAR representative office in Austria Gulmirza Javadov delivered a report on ‘Increasing role of oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan: current state and future prospects’ at the ‘Role of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey in security of European gas supply’ conference. Mr. Javadov stated Azerbaijan's increasing role in the context of regional and global energy security, as well as successes achieved by the republic in this field.

It was noted that the country's economic interests play primary role while deciding on Azerbaijan's participation in major pipeline projects. At the conference, managers of White Stream, Nabucco, ITGI and TAP projects underlined significance of the concept of the Southern Corridor for European Union and great importance of gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in ensuring European energy security.