Press Release: The Southern Corridor: EU and partner countries commit to move forward

The European Commission and the Czech Presidency of the EU will tomorrow host a Summit in Prague with partner third countries on the development of the Southern Corridor for energy and transport. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mirek Topolánek will meet with the leaders of partner countries from Central Asia, Southern Caucasus, Mashreq and Middle East. The Summit participants will discuss concrete ways for progressing on the development of the Southern Corridor for energy and transport, in particular the supplies of natural gas to the EU along the Corridor route. The Summit is the first time that potential partners in the Southern Corridor met at the highest level to discuss their shared interests, and the summit declaration will provide the first formal commitments by consumer, producer and transit states on the conditions necessary to make a success of the Corridor. President Barroso will be accompanied by Commissioner Piebalgs during the summit.