Croatia welcomes the decision on TAP

Croatia welcomes the decision of the Shah Deniz consortium published today to opt for the Transadriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) as the transport route for the Caspian gas from...

Croatia welcomes the decision of the Shah Deniz consortium published today to opt for the Transadriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) as the transport route for the Caspian gas from Azerbaijan for the European market.

Recognizing the advantages of the realization of the Transadriatic Gas Pipeline in terms of its interconnection with the Ionian-Adriatic Gas Pipeline that for the most part of its length runs through the territory of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Government organized a meeting of the foreign ministers of the TAP and IAP countries in Dubrovnik on 12 June of this year to once again transparently support, pending the final decision of the Shah Deniz consortium, the realisation of these two projects for further gas distribution to the European market.

The decision in favour of TAP also means the beginning of the realization of the project that is fully harmonized with the European policy of diversification of both supply routes and energy sources. TAP will enable unimpeded gas supply not only to European Union Member States but also to broader European area, in the context of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor. Croatia has always been an active proponent of the policy of energy diversification and, having recognized the importance of the realization of the projects aimed at making the European area safer, it has supported further development of more closely and tightly connected European energy architecture.

Today, energy security is one of the basic requirements for economic and social prosperity of any country, and it is important to Croatia, because it opens the possibility for its stronger economic development that includes strengthening of investment potentials, further development of energy and other infrastructure, and creating jobs.

Connecting the Caspian region to Europe in terms of energy supply and including the TAP project is an important moment not only to the states in Southeast Europe, but also to the European continent at large. It clearly reaffirms the commitment to the basic European principle of further strengthening cooperation, to which Croatia once again subscribes.

Croatia will continue to actively contribute to the European policy of energy security, both through the development of the IAP project and through the proj3ct of the LNG terminal on the island of Krk.

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