ROME - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said on Tuesday that evaluating Turkey's strategical location well would provide new advantages to Turkey.
Guler attended the Conference on Europe-Mediterranean Cooperation in the Energy Sector. He gave information to A.A correspondent regarding his meetings in Rome and Vienna prior to his departure to Turkey.
Guler said, ''our target is to increase energy diversity of our country. Turkey is respected in everywhere as it is a strategical country on energy issue. Things we have made and we will make on this field are very important. Evaluating Turkey's strategical location well will provide new advantages to our country.''
Guler said that besides the existing natural gas and electricity lines, transferring natural gas and electricity from Middle East to Europe via Turkey was also on the agenda.
Guler said that Turkey was both an energy bridge and an energy terminal by these connections with its neighbors and this was an important income source; thus, Turkey had a significant place among other countries.
Guler also met with representatives of delegations from Italy, Israel, Bulgaria, Egypt and Syria in Rome. Italian Productive Activities Minister Antonio Marzano expressed his pleasure regarding the consensus reached on Blue Stream issue between Turkey and Russia during his meeting with Guler.
Guler also met with European Commission Vice President Loyola De Palacio for Transport and Energy yesterday. He said that Palacio encouraged transfer of natural gas to Europe via Turkey and thus the increase of diversity as well. He added that the European Union (EU) was receiving natural gas only from Russia, Algeria and Norway at the moment and it was willingly expecting the natural gas which would be transferred via Turkey to Europe because by this way both diversity would increase and the security of supply would be provided and because of this, Turkey was very important for them.
Guler also evaluated the 10th general assembly meetings of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) which he had attended before the meeting in Rome.
Noting that they launched initiatives on establishing a regional training center on nuclear energy issue in Turkey, Guler said that if it would be put into practice, it would provide an important advantage to Turkey, adding that both foreign experts would come to Turkey and Turkey would take an important step for peaceful usage of nuclear energy. He said that they made a significant process on that issue.
Recalling that they had decided to establish International Center for Hydrogen Energy Technology (ICHET) in Istanbul and signed the necessary agreement, Guler said that Turkey attracted attention in Vienna with that agreement. He added that hydrogen energy was considered as a beginning of a new period in the world and it was the most significant energy issue after oil in the world, thus it was very important.
(GC-AÖ) 02.12.2003