The European Union will begin talks on establishing the legal basis for the realisation of the Trans-Caspian project next month, Gunnar Wiegand, the Director for Eastern Partnership and Central Asia in the European External Action Service, said whilst speaking to journalists.
Wiegand said the Trans-Caspian pipeline would diversify transportation of energy resources to Europe and will make Azerbaijan not only an oil exporter, but also an energy transit country. The EU recently authorised the European Commission to negotiate the legal basis for realisation of Trans-Caspian gas pipeline with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
Regarding the Russia’s possible response to the talks on construction of Trans-Caspian gas pipeline by reference to unsolved Caspian status problem, Gunnar Wiegand said EU didn’t intend to have tensions with any country: “EU only intends to diversify energy market by beginning the Trans-Caspian talks”.
source: commonspace.eu newsroom with agency reports