Azeri gas deal signed

The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey have signed an agreement to sell Azeri natural gas to Turkey from the Shah Daniz field.

According to the agreement, Turkey will buy several billion cubic meters of Azeri gas each year starting in 2004.

The deal could pave the way for other pipeline projects of a new east-west energy corridor, which is strongly backed by the US.

During the signing ceremony, President Aliyev voiced a hope that the volume of gas to be sold to Turkey would eventually reach as much as 20 billion cubic meters a year. "We have an old gas pipeline, which will be employed to transport gas through the Georgian border", President Aliyev said.

Cheapest deal

According to the Turkish minister for energy and natural resources Cumhur Ersumer, natural gas from the Shah Daniz prospect will be the cheapest gas hitherto purchased by Turkey. "The most expensive gas will come from Iran, while the cheapest from Azerbaijan", he said.

The Minister went on saying that Turkey is to pay $2.5 billion for gas to be bought for 15 years. According to the agreement, the first 2 billion cubic meters of gas are expected to arrive in 2004. The volume of gas exported from Azerbaijan will rise to 6.6 billion cubic meters a year in 2007.

However, President Aliyev dismissed rumors concerning the sale of Azeri gas to Turkey on favorable terms. "The gas will be sold at word prices", he said.

Commenting on the declining importance of the Trans-Caspian project, the head of state said that it was something that depends on not Azerbaijan solely.