Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The 3rd meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Advisory Council, scheduled for February 23, will be an important event, said Giampaolo Cutillo.

Italy’s Ambassador to Baku told Trend that during the upcoming meeting, the sides will consider all details regarding the project’s progress.

Currently, the project is being developed in line with the schedule, said the ambassador, adding that this meeting will be an additional opportunity to reconfirm the commitments of all members and partners to the project realisation.

Cutillo added that an Italian delegation will take part in the meeting.

Invitations have been sent to energy ministries of all member countries of the meeting and Italy is expected to be represented at a high level, said the envoy.

The SGC Advisory Council held its first meeting on February 12, 2015, and the second meeting on February 29, 2016.

Earlier the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan said that the list of the meeting’s participants has been determined, invitations for participation in the meeting have been sent to energy ministers of countries involved in the Southern Gas Corridor that include Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Albania and Bulgaria, Balkan countries, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic, heads of international financial institutions and representatives of other interested parties.

The Azerbaijan-initiated Southern Gas Corridor project envisages the transportation of the gas extracted at the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

Shah Deniz Stage 2 gas will make a 3,500 kilometer journey from the Caspian Sea into Europe. This requires upgrading the existing infrastructure and the development of a chain of new pipelines. The first gas supplies through the corridor to Georgia and Turkey are given a target date of late 2018. Gas deliveries to Europe are expected just over a year after the first gas is produced offshore in Azerbaijan.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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