RF Foreign Ministry: Russia has nothing against Nabucco Gas pipeline

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow affirmed that has nothing against the construction of Nabucco gas pipeline which would transport the natural gas from the Caspian basin to Europe bypassing Russia, representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Ria Novosti reported.



"Moscow is not against especially, if that project is beneficial and acceptable for those who intend to participate in it," he added. According to him, "the project should be economically and financially justified and should be provided with necessary resource base".



Commenting on the joining of different countries to the Nabucco project, the diplomat said "this is their sovereign right". The support to the project of construction of Nabucco, which Azerbaijan made in Prague, is in line with the energy policy of Baku aimed at diversification of transportation routes of hydrocarbon resources. He also mentioned, that important energy projects are worked at between Russia and Azerbaijan.



"The participation in the various international energy projects is a sovereign right of the countries. Azerbaijan's support to the Nabucco project in Prague based on the Baku's energy policy directed towards diversification of the export routes". The diplomat said Russia and Azerbaijan were working on the important energy projects within this process.



The USD 7.3 billion pipeline would bring gas supplies from Central Asia and Azerbaijan to Europe without using Russian resources or its territory through the rout Turkey-Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria. The construction of the gas pipeline is expected to finish by 2013, and gas deliveries will start in 2014.



Negotiations on Nаbucco have continued several years, the main topic of talks is guarantees of filling the pipeline with gas. After Russia-Ukrainian gas conflict those talks have been intensified.



Azerbaijan , Iran, Turkmenistan and recently Iraq are viewed as potential gas suppliers of for Nabucco. The idea of delivering the Iraq gas to Europe is facilitated by the US.



Some circles in Russia skeptically treat this project, since the possibilities of filling the pipeline with gas have been vague so far, reported Ria Novosti.