President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger have approved the choice of TAP as the route to deliver Shah Deniz gas to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. The project was initiated in a joint declaration with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in January 2011 to deliver Caspian gas to the EU.
Oettinger emphasized significance of direct gas transfer. He noted that the choice between TANAP and TAP was not essential.
The EU started searching for means to diversify gas supplies in 2009. The Southern Gas Corridor is a priority to achieve the goal.
