Azernews.Az

A landmark gas pipeline from Turkey to Greece that will take Azerbaijan's gas to Europe opened on Sunday in a high-profile ceremony.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials attended the event in the Turkish town of Edirne on the border.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said in his opening remarks that the 300-km conduit will take natural gas from the Caspian region, the Middle East and countries neighboring on Turkey to Italy and the rest of Western Europe through Turkey and Greece.
The pipe runs underwater from the Turkish town of Karacabey on the Sea of Marmara to the European mainland, and on to the Greek town of Komotini to link up to Greece's central gas pipeline network.
The four billion euros (5.9 billion dollar) project has been welcomed by the United States as the conduit bypasses Russia and lessens Europe's reliance on gas supplies from the West's long-standing rival and the volatile Middle East. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman regarded the fact that the route links Azerbaijan to the European gas supply market as "a critical new energy bridge" leading to diversification of energy to consumers and suppliers.
Bodman noted that the European Union countries were the biggest export market in the world and one of the fastest-growing ones. He said Europe's dependence on energy imports will continue and even grow in the next 25 years, which means that Azerbaijan and Central Asia will become Europe's key sources of supplies, along with the North Sea, Russia and Northern Africa. The energy secretary added that it was also important to draw new partners such as Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
Bodman thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the successful implementation of numerous international projects in the past years, saying the U.S. highly valued these initiatives.
"This pipeline is a major success for Azerbaijan, Turkey and Greece. It will foster new cooperation and provide for long-term energy security," Bodman said.
Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis pointed to the historic significance of the pipeline.
"It comes at a time when the energy and environmental challenges are unfolding in the world," he told the opening ceremony. "It also shows that we can work together so that we can both gain."
"This is the first link of the southern European energy ring...which (Turkey, Italy and Greece) are creating with European Union support," Karamanlis said.
"In the immediate future, Greece and Turkey will be able to contribute in common to Europe's energy supply, and at a time when this contribution is of particular significance," the Greek official said.
Karamanlis thanked European leaders for backing the project. He said the conduit will be extended to Italy and a relevant document has already been signed.
The pipeline currently supplies only the Greek market, but from 2011 will be linked to an underwater conduit extending from the western Greek port of Stavrolimenas to the Italian port of Otranto.
Karamanlis reminded that this August, a deal on the transportation of natural gas was signed with Azerbaijan. He said cooperation among Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Italy was "a historical reality" and was of great importance for all the four countries.
Turkish Premier Erdogan said the pipeline "will bring prosperity to the area, in all fields."
"We have a great energy vision...we see a new Silk Road between East and West in the energy sector...and we will soon develop plans for new oil and gas pipelines," he said.
Erdogan said his country's relations with Greece were developing in all fields in light of Turkey's future admission to the 27-member EU. He said taking Caspian natural resources to Europe through Turkey and Greece laid groundwork for a new form of multi-faceted cooperation.
President Ilham Aliyev said in his address that linking gas lines between Turkey and Greece has brought novelties to the region, as a new format for collaboration in the energy sector has emerged and will expand in the future.
"This is the first step, and I have no doubt that further steps will follow and everything will be done to ensure stability, cooperation and energy security in the region," he said, expressing confidence that the people in all the countries involved would draw closer and benefit from these endeavors.
A preliminary document on building the pipeline to link the gas distribution networks of Turkey and Greece was signed in April 2002, followed by an agreement between the two governments in February 2003. 210 km of the conduit pass through Turkey and the remaining 87 km via Greece. In the initial stage, it will transport 250m cubic meters of gas a year, with the volume to be doubled and further brought to 750m cubic meters. In the following 15 years, the figure will be brought to 12bn cubic meters.