SNAM Could Pay Price of EU-Azerbaijan Strained Ties

While Italy's SNAM continues negotiations with Azerbaijan's Socar, decisions taken by European authorities might reportedly affect ties between the EU and Azerbaijan in a moment of great confusion.

According to some Italian newspapers, relations between Azerbaijan and SNAM are progressing well, as proven by the Memorandum of Understanding signed last month by SOCAR and the Italian natural gas infrastructure company. 

Commenting on Azerbaijan’s President Rovnag Abdullayev meeting with SNAM CEO Carlo Malacarne on Friday in Milan, some other newspapers wrote that  tensions between Brussels and Baku are likely to take a toll on SNAM.

Euractiv reported on Monday that Baku might lose interest in major investments in the Old Continent like DESFA and TAP, as the Azeri company continues having problems concluding the acquisition of a 66% interest in Greek gas transmission system operator DESFA. 

Turkey is an important piece of the jigsaw, as TANAP is a central part of the Southern Gas Corridor.  

Ankara said on Monday that if Moscow decides to cut its natural gas supplies through Ukraine to Turkey from 2019, it could increase consumption of gas delivered through the Trans-Anatolian pipeline.

A few days before, on Thursday, Gazprom started the supply of 6 million cubic meters per day of gas to Azerbaijan.