TURKEY - GREECE
Turkey and Greece launch shared gas pipeline
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Costas Caramanlis inaugurated the first gas pipeline ever linking their two countries in a historical attempt to mend the conflicts of the past.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
By AFP
The prime ministers of Greece and Turkey on Sunday inaugurated a gas pipeline to the Caspian Sea hailed as a symbol of a new era of economic cooperation between the two regional rivals.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shook hands on the middle of the River Evros, the natural frontier and site of longstanding conflict, to seal the new partnership.
"This is a project of historic significance... and it comes at a time when the energy and environmental challenges are unfolding in the world," Karamanlis said during a ceremony held at Ipsala, a short distance inside Turkey.
"It also shows that we can work together so that we can both gain," he added.
Erdogan, for his part, said, "This pipeline will bring prosperity to the area, in all fields."
The project has been welcomed by the United States as an alternative conduit that bypasses Russia and lessens Europe's reliance on Russian gas, whose supply is subject to the often terse relations between Moscow and its neighbours.
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman attended the pipeline's inauguration along with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, a key US ally in the mountainous Caucasus region south of Russia and north of Iran.
"It's a great day for this part of the world," Bodman said, hailing the pipeline as "a significant development, one that builds a critical new energy bridge... leading to diversification of energy to consumers and suppliers."
Launched in 2005, the 300-kilometre (185 mile) pipeline brings natural gas from Azerbaijan to Greece and should be extended to Italy and the rest of Western Europe, highlighting the strategic importance of the project.
Its cost has been estimated at four billion euros (5.9 billion dollars).
"This is the first link of the southern European energy ring...which (Turkey, Italy and Greece) are creating with European Union support," Karamanlis said.
"In the immediate future, Greece and Turkey will be able to contribute in common to Europe's energy supply, and at a time when this contribution is of particular significance," the Greek leader said.
Completed in August, the Greek-Turkish conduit has an annual capacity of 11.5 billion cubic meters -- though some experts doubt that Azerbaijan can maintain such supplies.
It runs underwater from the Turkish town of Karacabey on the Sea of Marmara to the European mainland, and on to the Greek town of Komotini to link up to Greece's central gas pipeline network.
A 970-kilometre stretch runs in the opposite direction, through Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Turkey has ambitious plans for the pipeline, hoping its importance to Europe will improve its own prospects to join the European Union bloc.
It also sees itself as a "hub of energy hubs", as Erdogan said.
"We have a great energy vision...we see a new Silk Road between East and West in the energy sector...and we will soon develop plans for new oil and gas pipelines," the Turkish leader said.
Greece also has high expectations from the project, hoping to develop the Thrace region which is one of its poorest.
The pipeline currently supplies only the Greek market, but from 2011 will be linked to an underwater conduit extending from the western Greek port of Stavrolimenas to the Italian port of Otranto.
The main enterprises involved in that project are Edison, the Italian power company, Greek state-owned gas company Depa, and Turkey's petroleum products refinery agency BOTAS.
The pipeline is also a reminder of the progress made since the two countries nearly went to war in 1996 over an uninhabited islet in the Aegean Sea.
Though disputes over Aegean territoriality and the division of Cyprus remain, the NATO allies are now holding regular talks to bridge their differences and their economic partnership is booming.
Turkish exports to Greece more than doubled between 2000 and last year to reach 1.3 billion euros (1.9 dollars), a rise from 1.18 to 2.62 percent of Greece's total imports, said a European embassy specialist on the Greek economy, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"(With the pipeline), the Greek-Turkish rapprochement will become even warmer," Erdogan said.
Greece's new interest in the energy game has also led it to form a joint venture with Russia and Bulgaria on developing a 280 kilometre (175 mile) oil pipeline that will link the Black Sea with the Aegean.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shook hands on the middle of the River Evros, the natural frontier and site of longstanding conflict, to seal the new partnership.
"This is a project of historic significance... and it comes at a time when the energy and environmental challenges are unfolding in the world," Karamanlis said during a ceremony held at Ipsala, a short distance inside Turkey.
"It also shows that we can work together so that we can both gain," he added.
Erdogan, for his part, said, "This pipeline will bring prosperity to the area, in all fields."
The project has been welcomed by the United States as an alternative conduit that bypasses Russia and lessens Europe's reliance on Russian gas, whose supply is subject to the often terse relations between Moscow and its neighbours.
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman attended the pipeline's inauguration along with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, a key US ally in the mountainous Caucasus region south of Russia and north of Iran.
"It's a great day for this part of the world," Bodman said, hailing the pipeline as "a significant development, one that builds a critical new energy bridge... leading to diversification of energy to consumers and suppliers."
Launched in 2005, the 300-kilometre (185 mile) pipeline brings natural gas from Azerbaijan to Greece and should be extended to Italy and the rest of Western Europe, highlighting the strategic importance of the project.
Its cost has been estimated at four billion euros (5.9 billion dollars).
"This is the first link of the southern European energy ring...which (Turkey, Italy and Greece) are creating with European Union support," Karamanlis said.
"In the immediate future, Greece and Turkey will be able to contribute in common to Europe's energy supply, and at a time when this contribution is of particular significance," the Greek leader said.
Completed in August, the Greek-Turkish conduit has an annual capacity of 11.5 billion cubic meters -- though some experts doubt that Azerbaijan can maintain such supplies.
It runs underwater from the Turkish town of Karacabey on the Sea of Marmara to the European mainland, and on to the Greek town of Komotini to link up to Greece's central gas pipeline network.
A 970-kilometre stretch runs in the opposite direction, through Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Turkey has ambitious plans for the pipeline, hoping its importance to Europe will improve its own prospects to join the European Union bloc.
It also sees itself as a "hub of energy hubs", as Erdogan said.
"We have a great energy vision...we see a new Silk Road between East and West in the energy sector...and we will soon develop plans for new oil and gas pipelines," the Turkish leader said.
Greece also has high expectations from the project, hoping to develop the Thrace region which is one of its poorest.
The pipeline currently supplies only the Greek market, but from 2011 will be linked to an underwater conduit extending from the western Greek port of Stavrolimenas to the Italian port of Otranto.
The main enterprises involved in that project are Edison, the Italian power company, Greek state-owned gas company Depa, and Turkey's petroleum products refinery agency BOTAS.
The pipeline is also a reminder of the progress made since the two countries nearly went to war in 1996 over an uninhabited islet in the Aegean Sea.
Though disputes over Aegean territoriality and the division of Cyprus remain, the NATO allies are now holding regular talks to bridge their differences and their economic partnership is booming.
Turkish exports to Greece more than doubled between 2000 and last year to reach 1.3 billion euros (1.9 dollars), a rise from 1.18 to 2.62 percent of Greece's total imports, said a European embassy specialist on the Greek economy, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"(With the pipeline), the Greek-Turkish rapprochement will become even warmer," Erdogan said.
Greece's new interest in the energy game has also led it to form a joint venture with Russia and Bulgaria on developing a 280 kilometre (175 mile) oil pipeline that will link the Black Sea with the Aegean.
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