The memorandum on mutual understanding on energy, which Turkey and EU signed on March 17, 2015, will help to establish a dialogue between Ankara and Brussels, RIA Novosti cited Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Volkan Bozkyr.
Bozkyr and EC Vice President for Energy Union Marosh Shefchovich met in Ankara on Monday to discuss further cooperation in the energy field. The meeting took place on the eve of laying of foundation of the TANAP gas pipeline, which took place in Kars province, east of Turkey, on Tuesday in presence of Turkish and Azerbaijani Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev.
“The dialogue between Turkey and EU will be better organized within the framework of a new memorandum on mutual understanding,” Anadolu agency quoted Bozkyr as saying. He specified that the document envisages joining of the European energy market to the sources of power from the Near East countries and the Caspian Sea region.
Shefchovich said that TANAP is an important project not only for Turkey, but also for Europe.
South Gas Corridor and TANAP are the key projects, which are of high political priority for the European Union, he said.
According to the European Commission, EU and Turkey have agreed to hold meetings at the level of Ministers minimum once a year to discuss the issues of energy. The next meeting will be held next year and cover the issues of gas, electricity, nuclear and renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate problems.
