“Azerbaijan is an indispensable country for Turkey”, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said at the 20th anniversary of the Contract of the Century and the Southern Gas Corridor groundbreaking ceremony.

Yildiz said Azerbaijani-Turkish joint projects will benefit all over the world, TANAP will open a new peace corridor.

Making a speech at the ceremony, Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Dukanovic said Azerbaijan was gained a great achievement over the previous period: “Montenegro has decided to join this project. The diversification of energy supply is very important. We are creating a new future for our countries”.

Albanian Minister of Industry and Energy Damian Gjiknuri called the Southern Gas Corridor a significant project for Europe: “We’ll provide a speedy implementation of TAP project”.

British Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Livingston said that the 20th anniversary of the UK-Azerbaijan relations is also marked today: “The British companies are basic source of foreign investment in Azerbaijan. Generally, 500 British companies are operating in Azerbaijan in different spheres. Azerbaijan has also opportunities in information and communication technologies sphere”.

The British minister also expressed his support to the Southern Gas Corridor.

BP Executive-Director Robert Dudley noted that 2.5 bln barrels of oil have been produced, $30 mln has been invested within the “Contract of the Century”. He said that the Southern Gas Corridor will play an important role in the European energy supply.

SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev said that nearly $45 bln will be invested in TAP ad TANAP: “The Southern Gas Corridor will transport gas to Turkey in 2016, to Europe in 2019. We’ll watch football in Azerbaijan in 2020 as a member of great European family”.

Thereafter, a film on development of oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan was demonstrated.

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