MILAN, July 9 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan is open to Italian gasinfrastructure group Snam taking a stake in the projectto build the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) that will carry gasfrom Azerbaijan to Europe, President Ilham Aliyev said onThursday.
"Why not? If someone would allocate its shares to othercompanies I don't see any problems," Aliyev said when askedabout Snam's possible investment in TAP.
He spoke in English to reporters during a visit to Milan'sEXPO international trade fair.
Snam CEO told Reuters in an interview in June the companywas ready to evaluate buying 20 percent of TAP.
TAP's current shareholders are BP (20 percent), theState Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) (20percent), Norway's Statoil (20 percent), Belgium'sFluxys (19 percent), Spain's Enagas (16percent) and Swiss company Axpo (5 percent).
Aliyev confirmed the project was expected to be completed in2020. (Reporting by Giancarlo Navach)
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