Turkish expert: ‘TANAP is the solution for EU’

Day.Az interviews Hilal Pataci, the director of Future Energy Leaders at the World Energy Council's Turkish Committee

- This year can be remembered with the signing of the documents on the next major energy projects in the region - TANAP.  How do you think, in what lays the importance of TANAP for the Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as Europe?

The TANAP pipeline project will be beneficial to both Azerbaijan and Turkey. For several years, the EU has been looking for sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership on gas trade, which this agreement I believe will be. Brining this initiative to fruition will create a new route to bring Azeri natural gas to EU markets.

-What do you think about the future energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey in ensuring  Europe’s energy security?

The TANAP pipeline has the opportunity to further strengthen the existing relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan will be a key factor in having this agreement be advantageous to the EU bloc. The NABUCCO pipeline has been unsuccessful in wrestling away monopoly in the European gas market. This, along with a continuously growing demand, and the ambiguity over Iran is forcing the EU to explore other options that must be based on long-term sustainable partnership and cooperation.  

-EU is interested in the Southern Energy Corridor. What are the main challenges in this project?

Russia`s position, that of a major player in the EU gas market, will undoubtebly play a significant role in the upcoming debates on TANAP. Negotiations with stakeholders, countries through which this project will go through, will also need to be carefully navigated. Other nations, not currently involved, like Ukraine have also expressed the desire to participate in this endevaour. There is lots of room for dialogue and the chance to make an agreement based on cooperation and a sustainable partnership. It is too early to point at specific issues that can arise due to this being a long term initiative.   

-Also, EU has great expectations from the TransCaspian pipeline project. What do you think about the future of this project?

First of all, it is self-evident that the EU bloc is in search of sustainable partnerships that help both parties: the customer and the supplier. Secondly, the alternatives to the TransCaspian pipeline project are Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. As mentioned before, Russia already supplies 25% of all natural gas to European markets. Iran`s position is very complicated and full of uncertainty and thus not a viable option. The solution: TANAP or some other alternative agreement that brings together Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey to solve the EU`s gas dilemma.

- The South Caucasus region, through which energy pipelines will run,  faces several threats: terrorism, wars, etc.. Don’t you think that the West should provide assistance to Azerbaijan to ensure stable energy transit to Europe?

A project of the magnitude and scope of TANAP is worth billions of dollars. The security and success of this initiative is it not only dependent on the participant nations but also the regional community as a whole. We, being the stakeholders, must all share the responsibility to make TANAP work.  No one who invests in this pipeline would want it to fail. Also, since the project is 5-6 years (2018) away many issues and obstacles are not clearly evident. As we have seen in the past few years the Middle East is a rapidly changing and dynamic part of the world. The situation could change by 2018. Issues such as the threat of terrorism and other forms of conflict could reshape the region and its politics for better or worse.


/Today.Az/