Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, an advisor to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has dismissed reports about potential gas supplies to Europe through Syria and Turkey as mere speculation.
"We've all seen media speculation about this pipeline; it is nothing more than rumors," he said in response to a TASS inquiry about Doha's stance on building a gas pipeline to Turkey through Syria for gas exports to Europe.
"In Qatar, we are committed to supporting the Syrian people with humanitarian and technical assistance, as seen with the Damascus International Airport. However, on the economic level, particularly regarding gas supplies, we have nothing to announce on this matter," he added. Al-Ansari emphasized that Doha's current focus is on "maintaining stability in Syria" and "meeting the needs of the Syrian people."
Following the change of power in Syria in December 2023, some media outlets speculated about the revival of a project to construct a gas pipeline from Qatar to Turkey via Syria and other Arab nations for gas exports to Europe. Discussions about a Qatar-Turkey pipeline date back to 2009, but the project was reportedly shelved due to opposition from the previous Syrian government. On January 4, Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that Qatari gas could be delivered to Europe via Turkey if a secure transport system and stability in Syria and the region were ensured.
Qatar ranks third globally in natural gas reserves and sixth in production. According to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Qatar became the world’s third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in November 2024, following the United States and Australia.
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Based on materials from TASS