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ANKARA: Turkish, Azeri presidents comment on energy issues, NKR, G20

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  • ANKARA: Turkish, Azeri presidents comment on energy issues, NKR, G20

    Anadolu Agency, Turkey
    Jan 15 2015


    Turkish, Azeri presidents comment on energy issues, Nagorno-Karabakh, G20



    Turkey, Azerbaijan hail TANAP Project - President Erdogan says Turkey
    and Azerbaijan will boost their strategic importance with the natural
    gas transportation project

    ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey and
    Azerbaijan will boost their strategic importance though the Trans
    Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline, or TANAP.

    Speaking during the joint press conference with his Azerbaijani
    counterpart Ilham Alivey on Thursday in Ankara, Erdogan said energy is
    of great importance between the two countries.

    "TANAP grew into a global project and the necessary steps have been
    taken," Erdogan said. "In providing gas pipelines and in construction,
    Turkish firms weigh in."

    TANAP is projected to transport natural gas from the Azerbaijani Shah
    Deniz 2 field on the Caspian Sea and other Azerbaijani fields, through
    Turkey and to Europe.

    The Trans Adriatic Pipeline will connect with TANAP on the east side
    of the Greek-Turkish border to transport natural gas to the Italian
    network.

    The TANAP project is planned to originate at the Georgia-Turkey
    border, to pass through Anatolia, and to extend 1,242.7 miles (2,000
    kilometres) to reach Greece. It will then connect with the Southern
    Gas Corridor that will carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea near
    Azerbaijan to Italy into Europe.

    Erdogan also reiterated that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which
    provides oil transportation by passing Georgia from Baku - capital of
    Azerbaijan - to Turkey, will be launched by the end of 2015.

    Aliyev also underscored in the press conference the importance of the
    Southern Gas Corridor.

    "The Southern Gas Corridor and the development of the Shah-Deniz
    natural gas field is Europe's biggest infrastructure investment
    project and worth $45 billion," said Aliyev.

    Aliyev added that Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and other countries that
    will benefit from Southern Gas Corridor, should work together.

    -Nagorno-Karabakh issue

    Erdogan also highlighted the Nagorno-Karabakh region, over which
    Armenia and Azerbaijan have an ongoing dispute.

    "It appears that the Minsk Group will not take decisive action about
    the issue," Erdogan said. "It is saddening to see that although there
    are international resolutions about the issue, there has been an
    ongoing 'stalling tactic.'"

    Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, fought a war over
    the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the 1990s.

    In February 1988, the regional parliament in Nagorno-Karabakh, which
    is largely populated by ethnic Armenians, voted to declare its
    independence from Azerbaijan.

    Turkey has supported Azerbaijan in its struggle against Armenia over
    the disputed region and aims to find a peaceful solution to the
    conflict that has been ongoing for 20 years. Efforts have, so far,
    failed and the two countries remain without diplomatic relations.

    Erdogan also reiterated that Turkey will continue to support its ally
    Azerbaijan in resolving the issue peacefully within the territory of
    Azerbaijan.

    Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabah issue, Aliyev said "Turkey supports
    justice in this matter," and added Armenia does not want peace.

    Aliyev also said the Minsk Group failed to solve the problem.

    The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group
    was created in 1992 to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to
    the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh
    region.

    OSCE's Minsk group, co-chaired by Russia, France, and the United
    States, could not achieve concrete results over the issue despite 20
    years of attempts.

    Referring to the Minsk Group, Aliyev said "There is activity, but no result."

    -Turkey invites Azerbaijan to G20

    Erdogan said Azerbaijan will participate as a guest country in the G20
    Summit in 2015, which Turkey took over the presidency on Dec. 1, 2014.

    The G20, a key multinational group for tackling the world's economic
    challenges such as growth and unemployment, is a collection of the
    globe's largest economies which account for around 90 per cent of
    global GDP, two-thirds of the world's population and 80 per cent of
    international trade.

    The G20 summit will bring together political and economic leaders from
    20 major economies, including 19 individual countries -Argentina,
    Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia,
    Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
    Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States -plus the European Union.

    "There are no other countries that are connected together like Turkey
    and Azerbaijan," said Aliyev.

    Aliyev also said Turkey's invitation to Azerbaijan for the G20 summit
    shows how much the two countries are "close to each other."

    Stating that Turkey has evolved into a central power in the world,
    Aliyev said "As long as Turkey is strong, Azerbaijan will be as well."


    From: Baghdasarian
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