US envoy notes Azerbaijan's importance to EU energy security

The U.S. Department of State's special envoy and coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Carlos Pascual, gave a presentation at the Atlantic Council on "Crisis in Ukraine: Energy Factor".

In his speech, Pascual underlined the role of the Southern Gas Corridor in transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Southern Europe and ensuring energy security.

The gas to be produced within the second stage of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field development will be the main source of the Southern Gas Corridor, which envisages the transportation of the Caspian gas to European markets.

The Shah Deniz consortium announced the selection of TAP as the main route for transporting its gas to Europe in late June. Nabucco West was an alternative pipeline competing for Azerbaijan's gas transportation to Europe.

Pascual also talked about gas supply disruptions in Europe, legal aspects impeding the sale of imported gas to third countries and shortcomings in the Europe's energy security.

Europe began to make decisions to prevent the use of gas supply as political pressure, Pascual noted.

ANN.Az