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US Signals It Prefers Nabucco Over Other Pipelines

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  • US Signals It Prefers Nabucco Over Other Pipelines

    US Signals It Prefers Nabucco Over Other Pipelines

    Friday, October 1st, 2010
    by Asbarez


    ISTANBUL (Hurriyet)-The United States on Friday signaled for the first
    time that Nabucco is its preferred planned natural gas pipeline among
    the project's other rivals.

    `We made it clear that we support the Southern Corridor. We also made
    it clear that the Nabucco pipeline is preferable strategically and
    politically. It will be hard to answer whether these projects will be
    complementary or competitive since the initial gas is coming from the
    Caspian,' Richard Morningstar, special envoy of the United States
    Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, told a small of journalists in
    Istanbul.

    The U.S. has been a strong supporter of the Nabucco pipeline project,
    planned to be built from Turkey to Austria and to transport 31 billion
    cubic meters of natural gas.

    But there are some other projects such as Interconnector Turkey Greece
    Italy, or ITGI, and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, or TAP. The ITGI is
    planned with a capacity of 8 billion cubic meters and TAP with 10
    billion cubic meters. The U.S. had until Friday declined to voice its
    preference among the projects.

    The resources in Central Asia and the Middle East are limited but with
    the development of the second phase in the Shah Deniz field in
    Azerbaijan, and with Iraq's participation, the gas supplies could
    increase dramatically, Morningstar added on the sidelines of the Black
    Sea Energy and Economic Forum in Istanbul.

    The decision, however, of giving the gas to a pipeline will be a
    commercial one and will be made by the Shah Deniz consortium, he said.
    Morningstar ruled out the possibility of Iranian gas supplies for
    Nabucco or any other Western-backed pipeline projects.

    `For me, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project was a dream. Now Nabucco is a
    dream. Many countries are involved in this project. ... We want to be a
    helpful bystander,' Morningstar said when asked about the difference
    between the BTC and Nabucco pipelines.

    He rejected the notion that there was a contradiction between the
    Turkish government's decisions to become involved in both the Nabucco
    pipeline project and South Stream. The U.S. has no concerns regarding
    the increased energy cooperation between Turkey and Russia, he also
    added.

    Within energy pipeline diplomacy, there is one country that has been
    left out in the cold: Armenia. Due to an illegal blockade imposed by
    its neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia has been excluded from
    the major energy projects in the region.

    `I have fond feelings regarding Armenia. That is a shame that Armenia
    is not part of these projects,' Morningstar said. `If somehow an
    agreement is reached, Armenia can become a full participant in the
    region. And that is in everybody's interest.'

    It will take time, but eventually Armenia will participate in all
    regional energy and economic projects, Morningstar said when asked
    about whether there is a specific project that the U.S. wants Armenia
    to become involved in.




    From: A. Papazian
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