EU commissioner criticizes South Stream, keen on Nabucco
European Union Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger has criticized the Moscow-backed South Stream gas pipeline project to be signed on Friday in Russia, saying the EU was keen on implementing the rival Nabucco project.
The commissioner said South Stream is an attempt by Russia to hamper the realization of Nabucco, which is strongly supported by Europe, but it will not make EU abandon the project, which aims to diversify gas supplies to European markets, BBC Russia reports.
Russia’s Gazprom, Italy’s Eni, France’s EDF and Germany’s Wintershall are due to sign the legally binding agreement on South Stream in the Russian city of Sochi.
South Stream is Russian-Italian-French gas pipeline project that will run through the Black Sea from Russia’s port of Novorossiysk to Bulgarian port of Varna where it will be split into two branches – one for South the other for Central Europe.
The Nabucco project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region and the Middle East to the EU countries, bypassing Russia. The project's participants include the Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE.
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