Thursday, February 14, 2013
A tri-lateral intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Greece, Italy and Albania in support of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was signed yesterday in Athens, in the presence of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. TAP "will turn Greece from a second-tier energy destination into a strategic transit point," Samaras said at the ceremony, adding that it will improve the country’s energy supply.
Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos signed the agreement on behalf of Greece, along with Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister of Albania, Edmond Haxhinasto, and Italian Development Minister Corrado Passera.
"The political will of Greece, Italy and Albania to construct the TAP is a loud call to all potential international investors," Avramopoulos said, noting that the TAP is of strategic importance as it aspires to be a bridge linking the West to the East, Europe with Eurasia, Greece with Eurasia. "A bridge linking the largest energy market in the world -Europe- with one of the regions richest in energy reserves: the Caspian basin."
The signing ceremony took place at the Foreign Ministry and was attended by representatives of the government of Azerbaijan, the TAP joint venture and the companies participating in the Shah Deniz II Consortium. TAP is one of the pipeline projects being developed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea, to southern Italy and further into Western Europe.
TAP will submit its bid to the Shah Deniz Consortium on March 31, while the final decision on the pipeline route will be made in June, 2013. Greek News Agenda: PM Meets TAP Representatives & Memorandum on TAP pipeline Signed
