The first session of the Consultative Council of the Southern Gas Corridor will take place in February 2015 in Baku, said Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.
“Concrete recommendations for the project implementation will be announced at the meeting,” Ilham Aliyev said at the joint press conference with Turkish President Rejep Tayip Erdogan in Ankara yesterday after their bilateral meeting.
He said implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor will deepen cooperation in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
“We are going to establish a multilateral cooperation. Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and other partners of the Southern Gas Corridor most demonstrate active joint activities,” said Ilham Aliyev.
President Aliyev added that foundation of the Southern Gas Corridor was laid in Istanbul three years ago.
“We have signed the agreement to begin implementation of trans-Anadolu (TANAP) pipeline, which is the foundation of the Southern Gas Corridor. This way the decision we have made has turned into a very big world project. The Southern Gas Corridor and development of the Shah Deniz field is the biggest infrastructure project of Europe,” added Azerbaijani President.
He said the investments into this project will total $45 billion.
“As far as other issues are concerned, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and other projects will be implemented in time. Every issue discussed today is a very important project. TANAP, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and other projects are of strategic importance and Turkey and Azerbaijan play a leading role here.
I am sure that all these projects will be implemented in time,” added Ilham Aliyev.
President has invited President Erdogan to pay a return visit to Azerbaijan. “Our private meetings bring our nations and government together and strengthen power of Azerbaijan and Turkey even more,” Ilham Aliyev said.
President added that till 2020 the volume of Azerbaijani investments into Turkey’s economy will reach $20 billion and the Turkish companies have implemented the projects to the amount of $10 billion in Azerbaijan.
