EU ready to mull possibility of connecting Iran to SGC

Tehran (ISNA) - European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic announced EU is ready to discuss the possibility of Iran’s joining to the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) with all partners of the project.

Sefcovic made the remarks in a press conference at the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council in Baku.

The official further noted that in order for Iranian gas to be delivered to Europe, necessary infrastructures should be provided in the country.

This will also depend on Iran's strategy, as presently the country mainly focuses on increasing oil export, he said.

Expression of interest by different countries to the Southern Gas Corridor once again testifies to its importance as a strategic infrastructure, he added.

Thanks to the project Europe will have access to a region rich in energy resources, Sefcovic said, adding the European side is ready to discuss all further opportunities related to the Southern Gas Corridor.

The issue has been several times discussed with Iran’s representatives, he added.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

The goals of the Southern Gas Corridor are to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas and add diverse sources of energy supply.

The route from Azerbaijan to Europe consists of the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline, and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

The total investment of this route is estimated $45 billion.