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US analyst: â€œAs long as Europe is dependent on Russian energy, and Russia supports its Armenian ally, there is nothing much can be done to encourage EU to do more on Karabakhâ€

01 August 2011 09:15 (UTC +04:00)

Mr. Coyle, who has held a number of positions in the US federal government over the past 25 years, believes, it is Azerbaijanâ€™s own choose to decide whether the country needs to trend its cooperation with Russia, or the West.

â€œWhat is of higher importance to Azerbaijan and the other countries, the relationship with Russia or the relationship with the EU? Will agreeing with the EU on the Eastern Partnership carry a higher cost in relations with Russia, or will agreeing with Russia carry a higher cost in relations with the EU? The countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia are all sovereign, and have to wrestle with these decisions independentlyâ€, he said.

Speaking about the regional oil-gas projects, Mr. Coyle mentioned that from a Western perspective, it really doesn’t matter which of the potential pipeline projects get completed as they all will contribute to European energy security. â€œAzerbaijan should choose whichever project or projects secure funding for their constructionâ€.

Asked why there’s still nothing concrete to show for the Nabucco project, although there is much talk in the EU about it, he said, the banks will not commit to lending Nabucco the money for construction until Nabucco secures adequate supplies to build the proposed pipeline.

â€œAzerbaijan has agreed to provide 10 bcm a year of natural gas to the southern energy corridor (not necessarily Nabucco), but the pipeline will hold 30 bcm. As of today, no other countries or companies have agreed to fill the additional capacityâ€, he reminded.