Saakashvili: No foreign hurdles to block Nabucco
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said no
foreign obstacles will block the project to build the
Western-backed Nabucco pipeline to pump Caspian gas to Europe while
bypassing Russia, and it will definitely be completed.
Saakashvili told journalists in Batumi that he had no doubt Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas will be delivered to energy-thirsty European markets.
"It can be transported through Turkey as well. The most important thing is for gas to be supplied. I know for certain that, even if the gas does not go via Turkey, we will find other ways," Saakashvili said.
He emphasized that Tbilisi will cooperate with Baku to help implement the project and steps will be taken to move it forward, even if all other countries involved fail to make much effort to see this happen. "We have to take over leadership in the region, and Azerbaijan and Georgia will be continuously collaborating."
But Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev argued that, although "Nabucco is verbally a good and important project", much work remains to be done to realize it.
Aliyev told a news conference on Friday that the project is quite complex in terms of its feasibility, and a considerable number of challenges involved have yet to be surmounted. According to the minister, only general directions for the project have been revealed to date.
"Azerbaijan is very experienced in implementing projects. And we are aware that the corridor [territories] crossed by the pipeline have to be acquired. This requires permissions on state, municipal and private owners` lands and their formalization. No inter-governmental agreement and transit deals have been concluded to that end, and financial and technical issues have not been resolved."
Aliyev recalled that Turkey and the European Union are due to sign an agreement on Nabucco in June but noted that this does not imply that work on the project has actually begun.
The minister emphasized that any new oil and gas project represents great interest for Azerbaijan, saying any initiative put forth in this area opens up new opportunities for the country. At the same time, Aliyev noted that Baku would only support projects that are economically viable, comply with national interests and can be swiftly implemented. The resource-rich South Caucasus republic therefore continues its economic analysis, he added.
The 8 billion euro project seeks to deliver about 30 billion cubic meters of gas to European markets through a 3,300-kilometer pipeline traveling through the territories of Azerbaijan and Turkey to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria. By building this project, the EU is trying to reduce its dependence upon Russian gas.
Saakashvili told journalists in Batumi that he had no doubt Azerbaijani and Central Asian gas will be delivered to energy-thirsty European markets.
"It can be transported through Turkey as well. The most important thing is for gas to be supplied. I know for certain that, even if the gas does not go via Turkey, we will find other ways," Saakashvili said.
He emphasized that Tbilisi will cooperate with Baku to help implement the project and steps will be taken to move it forward, even if all other countries involved fail to make much effort to see this happen. "We have to take over leadership in the region, and Azerbaijan and Georgia will be continuously collaborating."
But Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev argued that, although "Nabucco is verbally a good and important project", much work remains to be done to realize it.
Aliyev told a news conference on Friday that the project is quite complex in terms of its feasibility, and a considerable number of challenges involved have yet to be surmounted. According to the minister, only general directions for the project have been revealed to date.
"Azerbaijan is very experienced in implementing projects. And we are aware that the corridor [territories] crossed by the pipeline have to be acquired. This requires permissions on state, municipal and private owners` lands and their formalization. No inter-governmental agreement and transit deals have been concluded to that end, and financial and technical issues have not been resolved."
Aliyev recalled that Turkey and the European Union are due to sign an agreement on Nabucco in June but noted that this does not imply that work on the project has actually begun.
The minister emphasized that any new oil and gas project represents great interest for Azerbaijan, saying any initiative put forth in this area opens up new opportunities for the country. At the same time, Aliyev noted that Baku would only support projects that are economically viable, comply with national interests and can be swiftly implemented. The resource-rich South Caucasus republic therefore continues its economic analysis, he added.
The 8 billion euro project seeks to deliver about 30 billion cubic meters of gas to European markets through a 3,300-kilometer pipeline traveling through the territories of Azerbaijan and Turkey to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria. By building this project, the EU is trying to reduce its dependence upon Russian gas.
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