BAKU TO MAKE CONCESSIONS TO TURKEY IN GAS ISSUE
news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan
Rovnag Abdullayev The next round of Turkish-Azerbaijan gas negotiations
has started in Baku today, SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev said in
his interview.
Notably, the issue of Azeri gas supplies to the European market via
Turkey is at a complex stage of negotiations. Now this issue depends
on parties’ mutual compromises. Turkey wants to buy Azerbaijani gas
at a lower price. Official Baku treats this as natural and does not
rule out possible concessions. SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev
noted that commercially Azerbaijan has always wanted to sell its gas
at higher prices yet strategic and fraternal relations are taken into
account in the relations with Turkey.
"We have always made discounts. We have never said we want to sell
our gas to Turkey at world prices. We have always drawn attention to
the fact that the price on gas supplied to Turkey is lower than the
global prices", Abdullayev said. It is not known whether Turkey will
make concessions in the issue of transit tariffs.
This issue may be clarified after negotiations. "The talks are held
in a package version. All issues are presented in a single package
because if there is no agreement on one issue, it is impossible to
reach it on other issues", Abdullayev added. The details of all these
issues will be discussed at today’s meeting of the experts.
SOCAR president says Azerbaijan will, anyway, supply gas to the
European market by transit ways. The transportation of compressed
gas on special tankers via the Black Sea is viewed as an option.
Notably, the gas problem between Turkey and Azerbaijan emerged after
protocols on the opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders were signed.