Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiorgos Papakonstantinou on November 17 attended the 3rd Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum (BSEEF), organised by the Atlantic Council, in Istanbul.

Papakonstantinou addressed the forum, which runs until Friday, and discussed issues concerning Greece's conversion into a regional energy hub during meetings with Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz and Bulgarian Energy Minister Traicho Traikov.

He stressed that important decisions will be made over the next three months concerning the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline, the Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy or ITGI, and was confident that the necessary works will go ahead.

In talks with his Turkish counterpart, Papakonstantinou reported general agreement between Athens and Ankara concerning plans for the ITGI, but he noted that the final decisions will be made by Azerbaijan and Britain, which controlled the consortium.

In talks with Traikov, Papakonstantinou was informed that Sofia continued to back construction of the Greek-Bulgarian gas pipeline, a development that would boost the prospects that the ITGI will materialise.

Papakonstantinou stressed that the privatisation programme for the energy sector to be announced next month will also boost the prospects of the ITGI being selected over other options.

In talks with Yildiz, he also discussed differences that have arisen between Greece's Public Gas Corporation (Depa) and the Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (Botas).

The two ministers said moves were being taken towards a solution, with an agreement in place for a settlement of DEPA's debts.