Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 12 /Trend A.Badalova/
Nabucco gas pipeline project's success depends on securing viable gas sources, Romanian President Traian Basescu said in an interview to Today's Zaman on the eve of his state visit to Turkey.
The president said Romania is a very firm and strong supporter of this project.
"The project will increase not only Romania's energy security, but the energy security of the whole region," Basescu said.
Nabucco gas pipeline is one of the projects within the Southern gas Corridor, which is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and Middle East to European countries.
The total length of the pipeline is 3,900 kilometers with a maximum capacity of 31 billion cubic meters per year. The project's partners include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and the German RWE.
Gas, which will be produced within the second stage of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development, is considered as the main source for Nabucco project.
Basescu mentioned the essential role of the Caspian resources for the future energy security of Europe and for the materialization of the Nabucco project.
"In this sense we have always promoted this project in our dialogue with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan," Basescu said.
Basescu also mentioned that was the signing of the Project Support Agreements [PSA] on Nabucco project last June in Kayseri was a very important step, supported by Turkey, was a very important and positive signal for investors.
PSAs were signed between Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH and the responsible ministries of the five transit countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Turkey) in Kayseri, Turkey.
In the context of diversifying sources and transport routes Basescu also mentioned AGRI project (Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania-Interconnection), which AGRI involves the liquefied gas supply from Azerbaijan through Georgia and the Black Sea to Romania.
Within this project gas will be transported via the gas pipelines to the Black Sea coast of Georgia, where it will be liquefied at a special terminal. Afterwards, it will be supplied by ships via the Black Sea to Romania. Gas will be supplied from Romania to Hungary, Bulgaria and other countries of the South-Eastern Europe.
"We do believe the Black Sea carries great potential for cooperation involving all interested countries, from the region and beyond, but it also faces a range of specific energy-related opportunities and challenges," Basescu said, adding that the region could provide solutions for energy supply diversification because of its unexplored potential.