Tweet
WEST DRAWING ARMENIA TO NABUCCO PROJECT, REPORT CLAIMS
AssA-Irada
September 7, 2009 Monday
Azerbaijan
Europe and the United States are drawing Armenia to joining the Nabucco
pipeline that will pump Caspian gas to European markets bypassing
Russia, Russias influential Kommersant newspaper has claimed. The
publication said the reconciliation process that has started between
Turkey and Armenia, the two neighboring countries facing decades of
hostility, has produced unexpected results, prompting speculation
about Yerevans joining the Western-backed project. Though experts,
taking into account the unstable political situation in Georgia,
consider this option possible, the main obstacle on the path of
Armenias turning into a transit state [for Nabucco] is Azerbaijan,
Kommersant alleged.
Baku has repeatedly stated that opening the Turkish-Armenian border
does not meet its interests until the [Armenia-Azerbaijan] Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict is settled. In other words, Azerbaijan
will never agree with the idea of transporting its gas through Armenia
until an acceptable solution is found to the Garabagh conflict. Sinan
Oghan, the head of TURKSAM, a Turkish center dealing with international
relations and strategic analysis, has told the newspaper that it is
possible that the developments will unfold this way. When preliminary
agreements were being reached on protocols covering restoration of
diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian said his country was ready to participate in all
energy projects in the South Caucasus region, Oghan noted. He did not
cite the Nabucco project, but everyone understood what he was talking
about. The European Union and the U.S. are to specify the Nabucco route
by the end of the year. Ankara has therefore expedited the process
of drafting the protocol on diplomatic ties. Ankara and Yerevan on
August 31 agreed to start consultations on forging diplomatic ties
and developing bilateral relations. The two governments announced
they would complete domestic consultations over two protocols within
six weeks, to be followed by their ratification at the Turkish and
Armenian parliaments. The 3,300-kilometer Nabucco pipeline, which will
run from eastern Turkey to the Austrian capital Vienna, is expected to
come online in 2014. Azerbaijan, Iraq and Egypt will become the main
suppliers for Nabucco, which will carry 31 billion cubic meters of
gas annually, when fully operational. The project will help European
countries to diversify supplies of energy, while the U.S. believes
Nabucco could help ease Russias grip on gas supplies to world markets.
AssA-Irada
September 7, 2009 Monday
Azerbaijan
Europe and the United States are drawing Armenia to joining the Nabucco
pipeline that will pump Caspian gas to European markets bypassing
Russia, Russias influential Kommersant newspaper has claimed. The
publication said the reconciliation process that has started between
Turkey and Armenia, the two neighboring countries facing decades of
hostility, has produced unexpected results, prompting speculation
about Yerevans joining the Western-backed project. Though experts,
taking into account the unstable political situation in Georgia,
consider this option possible, the main obstacle on the path of
Armenias turning into a transit state [for Nabucco] is Azerbaijan,
Kommersant alleged.
Baku has repeatedly stated that opening the Turkish-Armenian border
does not meet its interests until the [Armenia-Azerbaijan] Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict is settled. In other words, Azerbaijan
will never agree with the idea of transporting its gas through Armenia
until an acceptable solution is found to the Garabagh conflict. Sinan
Oghan, the head of TURKSAM, a Turkish center dealing with international
relations and strategic analysis, has told the newspaper that it is
possible that the developments will unfold this way. When preliminary
agreements were being reached on protocols covering restoration of
diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian said his country was ready to participate in all
energy projects in the South Caucasus region, Oghan noted. He did not
cite the Nabucco project, but everyone understood what he was talking
about. The European Union and the U.S. are to specify the Nabucco route
by the end of the year. Ankara has therefore expedited the process
of drafting the protocol on diplomatic ties. Ankara and Yerevan on
August 31 agreed to start consultations on forging diplomatic ties
and developing bilateral relations. The two governments announced
they would complete domestic consultations over two protocols within
six weeks, to be followed by their ratification at the Turkish and
Armenian parliaments. The 3,300-kilometer Nabucco pipeline, which will
run from eastern Turkey to the Austrian capital Vienna, is expected to
come online in 2014. Azerbaijan, Iraq and Egypt will become the main
suppliers for Nabucco, which will carry 31 billion cubic meters of
gas annually, when fully operational. The project will help European
countries to diversify supplies of energy, while the U.S. believes
Nabucco could help ease Russias grip on gas supplies to world markets.