BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2 (UPI) -- The Southern Corridor of European gas transit networks are closer to reality with the help of gas from Azerbaijan, U.S. energy officials said in Baku.
Richard Morningstar, the U.S. envoy for Eurasian energy, spoke to journalists during his visit with energy officials in Azerbaijan.
He said the energy goals for both countries were the same. His comments come as Turkish and Azeri officials are expected to hammer out a gas deal this week.
Azerbaijan is seen as a key energy supplier to European markets. Turkey, for its part, is emerging as a regional gas hub with the South Stream and Nabucco natural gas pipelines planned for its territory.
Morningstar said recent developments in the regional energy sector gave him renewed confidence in the Southern Corridor, the Trend news agency in Azerbaijan reports.
"There is no doubt that the Southern Corridor will be successful," he stressed.
Europe aims to break the Russian grip on its energy sector with Southern Corridor projects. They include the Nabucco gas pipeline, White Stream from Georgia and the so-called Interconnector between Greece, Turkey and Italy.
Morningstar said "commercial decisions" would determine which project was built first.
