Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 4/ Trend /
The international consortium established for Nabucco gas pipeline construction is wiling to consider participation of Russia in the project, Managing Director of the Consortium Reinhard Mitschek said at the conference in Ankara on Feb. 4, RIA Novosti reported.
"We do not refuse from Russia's participation in the project. If we get proposal from Moscow, we will discuss it with partners," Mitschek, discussing realization of ambitious project, said in Ankara.
The Nabucco project worth $7.3 billion envisages laying of gas pipeline to Austria from the Caspian Sea avoiding Russia. It will be continuation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline laid to Turkey. It envisages 20-30 billion cubic meters of gas transportation annually.
Talks on the Nabucco are being held not a year. One of key issues is guarantees to fill up the main line. They were stirred up in early 2008 after the Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict.
Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Iraq are called potential gas suppliers for the Nabucco. The United States support Iraqi gas supplies to Europe.
Russia skeptically considers realization of the project in the nearest years.
Construction of the gas pipeline is planned to launch in 2011, gas supplies through the pipeline in 2014, Managing Director of the Nabucco said.
"Azerbaijan will supply eight billion cubic meters of gas per year through main line. Turkmen president promised to export gas through it. Roughly 8-10 billion cubic meters will be enough at initial stage of main line (in 2014)," Mitschek said.
"Iran also possesses plentiful gas supplies. Political support is very important for us. We want to pump gas from this country," Managing Director of the Nabucco consortium said.