Albania,Azerbaijan to deepen cooperation through TAP gas project

Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister Alqi Puli said Thursday that the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is a strategic project for Albania. During the conference "Talking Albania-Azerbaijan relations", he said the diplomatic ties between Albania and Azerbaijan are consolidated, mentioning the previous eight agreements signed between the two countries. "Taking into consideration the difficult energetic situation, this project is going to give Albania the possibility to further develop not only the energetic sector, but also its own economy, generating new jobs and increasing social welfare," Puli noted. According to Puli, the collaboration between Albania and Azerbaijan continues to deepen its importance, generating other agreements not only on the energetic context but also on other fields such as innovation, technology and education. Through the pipeline, TAP will transport about 10-20 billion cubic meters of gas annually from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy, and further into Western Europe through the 800-km-long pipeline. The project is aimed at enhancing security and diversification of gas supplies for the European markets. It will open a new so-called Southern Gas Corridor to Europe and establish a new market outlet for natural gas from the Caspian Sea and beyond.