Greece, Italy back Adriatic gas pipeline

BRUSSELS/ATHENS - Reuters

The Greek and Italian governments have agreed to back the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which could improve the project’s chances of winning a long contest to become the means of reducing Europe’s reliance on Russia by bringing in Azeri gas.

Greek Deputy Energy Minister Makis Papageorgiou and his Italian counterpart reached a “close cooperation agreement” to jointly support the pipeline that would run through their countries, the Greek ministry said in a statement. Greece and Italy were in talks with the government of Albania over the pipeline. TAP is one of two potential pipelines short-listed by the Azeri Shah Deniz 2 gas consortium, led by BP and Statoil , to carry natural gas to Turkey and the European Union.

“Athens and Rome have decided to back the project after Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz 2 consortium chose TAP to transport gas to western Europe. Nabucco West remains an alternative route through the Balkans,” a spokesman for the Italian Foreign ministry said.