Azerbaijan is counting on US political support for the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project to avoid political difficulties with the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), said the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan.
The TAP project was discussed at a meeting of the Minister of Energy Natig Aliyev and the Director of the Energy Diplomacy Office of the Energy Reserves Bureau of the US Department of State William Silkworth.
During the meeting the interlocutors discussed the possible impact of the referendum in Italy on the implementation of the project of construction of the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline.
“Aliyev stressed the necessity of participation of higher-layer US officials in the third session of the Advisory Board of the UGC project and the expression of political support in order to avoid political difficulties with the TAP project,” the information says.
In addition, the parties discussed the termination of the process of privatization of the Greek gas distribution company DESFA, the negotiation process on laying the Trans-Caspian pipeline and prospects of the Azerbaijani-American cooperation in the energy security issue.
As reported, the third meeting of the Consultative Council for the UGC project is to be held in February 2017.