(ANSA) - ZAGREB - The Croatian Government has approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Albania and Montenegro which is intended to develop cooperation among the three Adriatic countries for the implementation of the new Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which could connect Italy and Greece via Albania, allowing the flow of natural gas from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea.

''Croatia is interested in an alternative source of gas, coming from the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region'', said Vesna Pusic, Croatian Foreign Minister. Then she underlined that during this period several meetings are ongoing in Europe in order to decide which of the two possible routes is the best. ''Part of the Nabucco project would cross West Bulgaria and Hungary to reach Austria - she added -, while the trans-Adriatic route, starting from Greece, would reach Italy, passing through Albania and the Adriatic Sea''.

If the trans-Adriatic route takes priority, Croatia will be able to connect to TAP through a separate stretch, which would cross the territory of Montenegro, and, as Pusic said,''would guarantee energy and geopolitical independence''. The project involves the initial stretch of the pipeline in Greece, near Thessaloniki, where it would be connected to the existing greek network. It would be about 800 km long, 115 km of which would be offshore in the Adriatic Sea. The project is considered an interesting alternative to Nabucco Network and to the Mediterranean section of the South Stream Pipeline. (ANSA).