The South East Europe Pipeline: Greater Benefit for a Greater Number of Actors

IAI Working Papers (Istituto Affari Internazionali) 12/2, January 2012, 7 p.

Elnur Soltanov *

The South East Europe Pipeline (SEEP) could eventually be the pipeline carrying Azeri gas to European markets. Compared to its competitors in the Southern Corridor concept – Nabucco, TAP and ITGI – it goes furthest in terms of optimality for all the parties involved. The combined advantages of its size, scalability, usage of existing gas infrastructure in Europe and direction, promises a more reasonable economic and political value for the Shah Deniz Consortium, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Europe, while posing a bearable challenge to Russia. The SEEP seems to offer a greater value to a greater number of actors.

* Elnur Soltanov is the Director of the Caspian Center for Energy and Environment (CCEE) at Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, Baku.

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