OREANDA-NEWS. June 28, 2012. Turkey and Azerbaijan have signed several documents in Istanbul concerning the implementation of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP).

 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the signing ceremony. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) was signed by President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Agreement was also signed by Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz. A preliminary agreement between BOTAS and SOCAR on organizational issues with regard to TANAP was signed by Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and BOTAS Deputy CEO Mehmet Konuk. The Host Country Agreement between the Turkish Government and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project Company was signed by Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz and SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev on behalf of TANAP Co.

Appreciating the signing of documents on construction of Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline system as a great progress in energy relations between the two countries and real contribution to the Southern Gas Corridor project, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev said:

Azerbaijan and Turkey will hand-in-hand realize this project of a great strategic importance for both countries and entire Europe. TANAP has an exclusive significance for supplying of natural gas to Turkey’s domestic market and ensuring energy security of the European countries. It will make important contribution to the European energy security. The final decision on the route of gas transportation to Europe will be made in 2013. In the next few days Shah Deniz consortium will make a choice between the pipelines (Nabucco West and South East European Pipeline) for delivering natural gas volumes to the Central Europe. The chosen alternative and TAP (Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline) will be reviewed on equal terms during the final decision-making process. The package of documents signed in Istanbul was prepared in accordance with the schedule coordinated between the sides. According to this schedule, the sides signed a Memorandum on establishing TANAP consortium in December 2011 and agreed on their shares in the project. The sides also agreed to establish the project company by the end of June 2012 and to sign Intergovernmental Agreement and Agreement between TANAP Co and the Government of Turkey (this document describes the sides’ duties and rights for the implementation of the project). The signing ceremony in Istanbul turned all of these issues into realities.

I have to point out that TANAP processes were in the focus of attention of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan HE Mr. Ilham Aliyev. The Head of State took interest in the progress of work many times and gave his guiding instructions. It was just the results of a large-scale work done under the leadership of Mr. President that today SOCAR takes steps toward the technical and economic research of the pipeline. We will further do our best together with Turkish counterparts to realize TANAP before the production of gas. Within the framework of the second phase of Shah Deniz field development.

The signing of TANAP documents with the participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an obvious indicator of the exclusive significance given by the two fraternal countries to Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline, which lays down the basis of Azerbaijan’s gas strategy for a long prospective period.