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U.S. looks forward to agreement between Azerbaijan & Turkey on Nabucco: U.S. Senator

Oil&Gas Materials 15 July 2009 11:30 (UTC +04:00)
U.S. looks forward to agreement between Azerbaijan & Turkey on Nabucco: U.S. Senator

The United States, Washington, July 15 / Trend , N.Bogdanova/

Azerbaijan's and Turkey's signing an agreement on a gas export price can become the next step in implementing the Nabucco gas pipeline project, the Deputy Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator-Republican Richard Lugar believes.

"The next step in the NABUCO project might be the agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan about the export price of the gas. US is deeply looking forward that agreement", - told TREND the US Senator for Indiana state Richard Lugar.

Senator Lugar represented the United States at the signing of the Nabucco natural gas pipeline treaty in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this week, July 13. The government of Turkey invited Senator Lugar to participate in the event.

Lugar conceders, that "NABUCO is a project to which US is showing its great support".

Speaking of the recent gas agreement signed between Russia and Azerbaijan, senator says that, "This agreement will not be a point of dismiss of Azerbaijan's cooperation on NABUCO project, because Russia itself might be a partner for this pipeline".

Lugar also hopes that the contract between NABUCO countries "Will quicken the process of the export of Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas through the pipeline".

On July 13, the Nabucco participant countries signed an intergovernmental agreement in Ankara. The paper was directly signed by heads of the governments of Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and European Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso.

The Nabucco project worth 7.9 billion euro will deliver Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas to the EU. Nabucco shareholders are the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE with 16.67 percent each

Construction of the pipeline is expected to begin in 2011 and the first supplies - in 2014. Its maximum capacity will be 31 billion cubic meters per year. An investment solution on the project will be made in the first quarter of 2010.

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