Foreign

Home page

Foreign

US Senate holds hearing on Nabucco project

17 July 2009 08:08 (UTC +04:00)

Senator Lugar said Nabucco agreement signed in Turkey â€œis a signal to the rest of the world that partner governments will not acquiesce to manipulation of energy supplies for political ends. It also has the potential to build new avenues for peaceful cooperationâ€. He said during the past four years, Russia has repeatedly demonstrated its intent to use its dominant position in European natural gas markets to project its influence across Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. â€œNabucco will be a vital link in the â€œEast-West Corridorâ€ that will connect the oil and gas rich Caspian region with Europe. It required substantial agreement on energy security between European Union nations, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the United Statesâ€. Senator Lugar said he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki after the Nabucco signing. â€œPrime Minister Maliki indicated his desire to export natural gas via Nabucco, thus raising an opportunity for Iraq to establish stronger cooperation with Turkey and beyond and to raise money for the substantial post-war rehabilitation of his countryâ€.

US Special Envoy for Eurasian energy policy Richard Morningstar said that Iranâ€™s participation in this project is impossible until the clearing of Iranian nuclear program issue. He said Nabucco would play an important role in the world gas supply system.