Greece, Turkey link up nat'l gas networks

[Ellinas]

Greece's Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas and Turkey's Energy & Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler on Friday observed the link up of the Greek and Turkish natural gas networks in Thrace.

After the pipe from Turkey reached Greece and the section of the Greek-Turkish pipeline that goes under the River Evros, Sioufas congratulated the three companies involved in the project - Turkey's BOTAS, the construction consortium and the Greek natgas system manager DESFA.

"This is a very important event and we estimate that the project will be completed after 15 days, so that the two prime ministers can inaugurate for the arrival of natural gas from Turkey to Greece," the minister said.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to officially inaugurate the project once it is complete.

Sioufas also underlined that the project was a great achievement for both countries, while expressing his complete satisfaction with the cooperation between the Greek development ministry and Turkey's energy ministry.

"The two natural gas pipeline systems will become one, a Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline that will transport natural gas from Asia to Europe," he underlined.

Guler, on his part, said that it was "a happy day" for Turkey because the project was more than just a natural gas pipeline but a "project of peace that united two friendly nations".

"We believe that through this plan relations will be improved to the desired level," he said, adding that he expected to carry out further projects in collaboration with Sioufas in the future, in electricity, natural gas and possibly renewable energy.

"Both Greece and Turkey are sun-drenched countries and we can also look at the green energy sector. I believe that in the future we will carry out many plans together," he said.

ANA