TIRANA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Albania's state-run Albgaz sh.a, a newly-established public gas company, signed here on Thursday a Memorandum of Cooperation with Greek natural gas transmission system operator DESFA, according to Albanian Energy Ministry.
The ministry said in a press statement, Albgaz will get expertise from Greece's DESFA on operating the Trans Adriatic Pipeline.
The memorandum was signed in the framework of commitments taken by the Albgaz sh.a, in respect of the agreements reached between the government of Albania and TAP AG for improvement of the Albanian section of the gas pipeline, Albanian ministry said.
Albanian authorities see such an agreement as a significant step for the Albgaz sh.a and the natural gas sector in Albania, because it paves the way to signing of a contract between Albgaz sh.a and TAP AG for maintenance and operation of the Albanian section of the pipeline.
This contract would generate revenues for the Albgaz sh.a during the coming years and create new jobs, officials from the ministry of energy told media.
Albgaz had offers of cooperation from many European gas firms, but it chose DESFA for this stage, ministry representatives said.
TAP will bring central Asian gas into Europe by 2020 via Greece and Albania to Italy. TAP is considered as the largest foreign investment ever realized in Albania so its economic impact is expected to be higher in the coming years.
