Access to Caspian reserves ‘key’ issue for EU
Baku, September 14 (AZERTAC).The European Union is urging Russia not to hinder the implementation of gas transportation project Nabucco.
European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger recommended Moscow not to try using the expensive "Southern stream" pipeline to hamper the Nabucco, Deutsche Welle reports.
“We are talking about both Nabucco gas pipeline and smaller-scale projects, including the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Turkey-Greece-Italy Interconnector (ITGI).”
“They provide for the supply of gas through the existing transportation system in Turkey, but require, in particular, the laying of submarine and onshore pipelines,” said Oettinger.
He is convinced that the key strategic decisions on the "Southern Corridor" will be accepted by the end of this year.
Oettinger described the EU`s access to the Caspian region and Central Asia, which holds the world`s largest natural gas reserves, exceeding even Russian ones, as a key issue for the EU.
According to the European Energy Commissioner, Russia should be interested in Nabucco, and its alternatives - TAP and ITGI.
"If Moscow accepts the fact that the" Southern Corridor "is inevitable, and that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have the right to make independent decisions, the Europeans will have considerably more trust in the energy source as gas," said Oettinger.
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