Α. Σαμαράς: Ο ΤΑΡ είναι μόνο ένα μέρος του πώς οραματιζόμαστε την Ελλάδα στο ενεργειακό τοπίο της ευρύτερης περιοχής

Χαιρετισμός του Πρωθυπουργού κ. Αντώνη Σαμαρά στη συνάντηση του Προέδρου του Αζερμπαϊτζάν κ. Ilham Heyda Oglu Aliyev με επιχειρηματίες

It is a real honor for me to welcome today here H.E. the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

I would also like to welcome the distinguished delegation of the top executives of some of the largest companies in Azerbaijan, who are also visiting Athens.

It is also a pleasure for me to see here, today, some of Greece's leading companies and the chairmen of the top business associations.

Greece and Azerbaijan have come close to one another during the recent years. Through energy we discovered our common interests and started to build on a relationship, which is still at its beginning and it has a long way to go.

But there is much more than energy that can define the prospects of our bilateral relations. Commerce, tourism, real estate, privatization projects, b-to-b associations in all fields, can establish a multidimensional economic cooperation between us. Between a leading player in the Caucasus region and a European Union member- state emerging as the “gateway” between Asia and Europe.

Many important commercial routes from your side of the world towards Europe pass through Greece and many more can pass through Greece in the future. It is my strong belief that this reality defines the common prospects of our countries. 

Apart from our mutual economic interests, however, there are cultural aspects that bind Greece and Azerbaijan together.

So, we have a huge potential to deepen our ties in all fields, political, economic and cultural, beyond the well-established cooperation in the energy sector.

Last spring, when I visited Baku, I had the opportunity and the honor to exchange views on how we can keep up the momentum and infuse more dynamism in our relations.

The visit by H.E. Mr. Aliyev is a strong sign of our shared will.

Two years ago, TAP was a late runner in the selection process of the pipeline, which would bring the Azeri natural gas into the European market.

Greece, together with Italy and Albania, strongly backed TAP and put down a coherent Action Plan in order to eliminate that handicap. TAP was eventually chosen by the Shah Deniz-II consortium as the preferred project with which the so called “South Corridor” will be implemented.

In SOCAR we found a great business partner, who saw Greece as an attractive new business area for investment. The seal of proof came with the acquisition of DESFA, the Hellenic Transmission System Operator, by SOCAR, which made a long-term commitment in Greece with a significant investment.

The ongoing issues at Ukraine- I believe- have highlighted the need for energy security and diversification, thus making TAP even more significant.

However, TAP is just a part of how we envisage Greece into the energy landscape of our broader region.

I believe the conditions are ripe for a Vertical Corridor, as well, by building Interconnectors, such as the IGB pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria, or upgrading existing ones between the national grids. This Vertical Corridor will provide the Balkans, as well as Central and Eastern Europe, with natural gas, flowing from south to north.

Greece will be the starting point to this route, which will be supplied by TAP as well as by existing or new inlets in Greece. I am confident that, in the near future, we will be discussing about increasing the capacity of TAP according to the plans and according to what we discussed earlier.

We expect Azerbaijan, mainly through SOCAR, to be the most active stakeholder in this new energy landscape.

I am confident that energy is not the sole field of common investment. Greece is implementing a significant program of privatizations, which offers considerable opportunities for foreign and for local investors.

Thanks to the reforms that we have been steadily implementing and the biggest fiscal consolidation in our country ever achieved in modern economic history, we have created a favorable environment for business.

I invite the Greek and the Azeri business communities to get together and to find common ground. Now is the time to move forward.

The Greek government and myself, personally, will provide all the necessary support, so as to turn business opportunity into concrete projects.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends,

I truly believe that the dynamic evolution of Greek-Azeri economic relations is already an example for international economic diplomacy.

Together we have turned shared economic interests into a solid base for bringing our nations closer together.

As I already pointed out, Azerbaijan is a very fast developing nation in the area of the Caucasus and a dominant player in the global energy landscape.

Greece is very fast becoming the “gateway” of Europe for energy, tourism and commercial routes coming from Asia.

So, I believe it is our historic duty to turn the invaluable comparative advantages of our countries into concrete benefits for our economies and for our peoples.

I wish you the best of success to everyone in your endeavors.

 And thank you very much for being here.