Iraq could join Nabucco sooner than Turkmenistan: US official (UPDATED)
WASHINGTON D.C. – Iraq could join the international consortium on the Nabucco gas pipeline project much sooner than Turkmenistan, a US official has said.
US Special Envoy on Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar, said Baghdad has already expressed interest in the project. "We believe that Iraq will join this project in the near future."
Morningstar said that currently the main goal is to determine suppliers other than Azerbaijan. The options include gas from Iraq and Turkmenistan. "But Turkmenistan is unlikely to join the project very soon. And this, certainly, is due to political considerations."
Morningstar said Nabucco could supply gas to all of Europe bypassing Russia.
He pledged that the United States would always support this strategically important project.
Morningstar noted that US companies have not joined the project, but the U.S. could contribute to the construction of the pipeline and supply the required equipment.
The Nabucco project aims to decrease the European Union’s dependence on Russian imports by bringing Caspian gas to a hub in Austria via the Balkans. The gas would be shipped to Europe via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH was established to build the conduit.
Nabucco shareholders with equal stakes are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE.
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