ATHENS, February 4. /TASS/. The Greek government supports the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), however, believes that the profit that Greece may get from the natural gas transit through the pipeline via Greek territory is insufficient, Greek Production, Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis said on Wednesday.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline is an integral part of the EU-lobbied "Southern gas corridor" to transport natural gas from Azerbaijan, bypassing Russia. The project envisages natural gas pumping from the Caspian and later Middle East regions to Western Europe via the Turkish gas network. The pipeline’s throughput capacity is 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Gas production within the project framework is expected to be launched in 2017-2018.

"We have doubts concerning TAP transit conditions in regard to Greek interests," said the minister. "We support the TAP pipeline laying on our territory, it will benefit the country as it helps ensure energy security and energy sufficiency in the wider European region." According to Lafazanis, the government seek to get more benefits from TAP for Greece and certainly for Azerbaijan. "There will be a discussion in order to obtain the best results," said the official, adding that the government "seeks to strengthen and improve relations with Azerbaijan in all areas."

Deputy of the Greek Parliament from the Independent Greeks faction Gabriel Avramidis said previously in an interview with TASS that his "party opposed the version that had been chosen by the previous government of Greece — the Azerbaijani TAP gas pipeline, which did not even envisage payments to the Greek state for the natural gas transit."