TIRANA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian economy will receive an injection of nearly 1 billion euro (around 1.15 billion U.S. dollars) in the next two decades thanks to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Friday.
Rama attended the launch of construction works of the offshore section of TAP, stressing that it will secure the pipeline connection with Italy and that this project is of great importance to the Albanian economy perspective.
"TAP is not just a strategic investment, but a historic driving force for the Albanian economy, for the economy of the future," emphasized Rama.
Rama and Albanian Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Damian Gjiknuri both welcomed the project's good progress, the benefits it brings to local communities and underlined the strong partnership between TAP and Albania.
Meanwhile, Rama and TAP Managing Director Luca Schieppati drew the offshore section of the pipeline on a map, symbolizing the soon-to-be-completed section of the project for Albania.
"This is another key milestone taking one more step towards completion of the TAP project and the start of operations in 2020," said Schieppati.
In his speech on the occasion, TAP's Country Manager Albania Malfor Nuri thanked the Albanian government for their support and underlined that TAP is one of the largest foreign direct investments in Albania, as well as one of the most important energy projects for the country, amounting to about 1.5 billion euro (around 1.72 billion U.S. dollars).
On Oct. 19, TAP marked the start of construction works for the 105 km offshore pipeline section planned to be carried out in 2019. TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The approximately 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in southern Italy.
TAP's routing can facilitate gas supply to several southeastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others.
