Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 5 / Trend , A.Badalova /
Russia might consider European parliament proposals to join the Nabucco gas pipeline project, but it does not feel a particular need to do so.
"If interesting proposals are made for Russia as an investor and the project is economically sound, then we will review them," Russian political scientist and Efficiency Policy Fund General Director Kirill Tanayev told Trend .
The European parliament recently proposed that Russia join the Nabucco project.
Tanayev believes that Russia's position on Nabucco is similar to Azerbaijan's.
"Azerbaijan supports Nabucco as a means to transport hydrocarbon to European markets," Tanayev said. "But at the same time, Azerbaijan wants preliminary information about the prices at which its gas will be transported and to see concrete proposals. Only then can Azerbaijan guarantee its gas will be transported via the pipeline."
Official representative of the European Commission Ferran Tarradellas said the Nabucco gas pipeline does not need Russian gas. But Tarradellas did not rule out Russia's participation in the project.
"This depends on the participants of the Nabucco consortium," Tarradellas said.
"It is up to the members of the Nabucco consortium to decide if Russia can join the project. The gas pipeline can operate without Russian gas," Tarradellas wrote Trend in an email.
According to Nabucco Gas Pipeline International Acting Director Reinhard Mitschek, the consortium is ready to consider Russia's participation in the project, RIA Novosti reported.
"If Russia will adjust its proposals, then we will discuss its participation with our partners," Mitschek said at a conference in Ankara.
Nabucco Gas Pipeline International said Russian gas transported via the Blue Stream pipeline to Turkey could also fill Nabucco.
The Nabucco project worth $12.4 billion will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Construction of the pipeline is expected to commence in 2010. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year. Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.7 percent each.
R. Agayev contributed to this article from Moscow.
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