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Minister Sekulić: Southern Gas Corridor is of strategic importance for future energy security of EU

Published on: Feb 24, 2017 12:15 AM Author: PR Service
Baku, Azerbaijan (23 February 2017) -- "Montenegro is a safe and stable partner to the countries of the region and the EU in the implementation of the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline project. This has been recognised at both levels, and therefore Montenegro plays an important role as a kind of a focal point for the project for the entire region," noted Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulić at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, which took place in Baku.

Minister Sekulić pointed up that the EU has repeatedly supported the project of the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline.

"EU, through the Western Balkan investment Framework, has approved a EUR 2.5 million grant support to Montenegro and Albania for the conceptual design of the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline through Montenegro and Albania. Implementation of this project is to begin in the second quarter of 2017, " she explained.

However, this is not the first time that EU has provided direct financial assistance for the project’s implementation.

"We are already in the final stage of the adoption of the Master Plan of Gasification of Montenegro for which we have received a EUR 500,000 grant and EUR 50,000 for the development of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Gasification Master Plan. All of these are indicators of strong support and, above all, the European Union’s trust in Montenegro and the countries of the region, and in our capacity to implement such a demanding project," said Minister Sekulić. She also spoke about the Project Management Unit, composed of representatives of ministries and transmission system operators for gas of Montenegro, Croatian, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania.

"This regional team has already received support from the Energy Community and the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline project is going to be put on the lists of priority projects, such as the PCI and PECI lists," she stressed.

Southern Gas Corridor is a project of great importance for the future energy security of the European Union and therefore we are very grateful for the support of international financial institutions in its implementation, said Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, and once again underlined the importance of the project for safe and stable supply of energy, as well as the diversification of sources.

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, sponsored by the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan and the SOCAR, brought together ministries responsible for energy sector of Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Serbia and Turkey, senior energy advisers of the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives of Shah Deniz company and participants in the expansion of the South Caucasus, Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic pipelines.

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