Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

The US ambassador to Azerbaijan has said ensuring energy security and the security of relevant infrastructure is a very important part of bilateral cooperation.

Richard Morningstar said during his speech at the final session of an Azerbaijan-U.S. forum in Baku on May 29, "Soon a choice between the two routes of supply of Azerbaijani gas - Nabucco West and TAP - will be made. The point is not as to which route will be chosen, but the fact of creating the conditions for supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe and eliminating the reliance of European partners on a single source of gas supplies. I hope that after 2020 Azerbaijan will become an even bigger gas supplier."

The gas which will be produced during the second stage of developing Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz field in the Caspian
Sea is considered as the main source for the Nabucco West and TAP projects. Shah Deniz Stage 2 is expected to start in 2017 or 2018.

Nabucco West is a short-cut version of the Nabucco project, which envisages construction of a pipeline from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters per year, but it is easily expandable to 20 billion cubic meters.

Morningstar went on to say that the relations between the U.S. and Azerbaijan over the past 20 years have assumed the nature of a strategic partnership.

"Our common views on security define the strategic landscape of the whole Caspian region. For many years we have been jointly waging the fight against terrorism. We are pursuing common goals. Azerbaijan supports us on the issues of global security. Azerbaijani servicemen are on duty in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan shoulder to shoulder with the US soldiers," the diplomat said. He added that the Azerbaijani side conducts trainings for the Afghan administration, which in 2014 will assume full responsibility for the occurring events.

According to Morningstar, everyone perfectly understands how important the U.S.-Azerbaijan relations are from the strategic point of view.

"The United States policy after the break-up of the Soviet Union was to support and assist the countries that gained independence. Confronting global and regional challenges with these new countries on the basis of constructive cooperation was a very proper approach. As for Azerbaijan, I want to reiterate that the U.S. needs a strong Azerbaijan that is able to defend its own interests," Morningstar said.

He said that there is vast potential for economic and political cooperation.

"The realization of this potential depends on political and economic reforms. Azerbaijan should increase investments in human capital through the improvement of the education and healthcare systems. Measures on the fight against corruption taken in recent years should be strengthened. Women need to be more active participants in society," the ambassador said, adding that he would do everything he can to boost the cooperation between the U.S. and Azerbaijan.

Former US Senator Richard Lugar said in remarks at the event that the strengthening of Azerbaijan as an energy exporter affects European security.

"I first met with President Heydar Aliyev in 1998 and saw Azerbaijan that was in a transitional period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Back then, the future of the country was unclear. Currently, Azerbaijan is an undoubted friend, business partner and military ally of the United States," Lugar said.

Lugar believes the successful cooperation between the two countries will only grow in the future.

"Azerbaijan is successfully cooperating with the United States on land and at sea. We cooperate in many areas, but some of them are crucial for regional security. The regional security is of great importance beyond the region as well. If Iran develops nuclear weapons, it would be unacceptable for both the U.S. and Azerbaijan," Lugar said.

He went on to say that the cooperation in the energy sector plays an important role in regional stability.

The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline played an important role in strengthening the stability in the region and bolstering the international position of Azerbaijan, Lugar said.

He also emphasized that Russia affects Europe by exerting its influence over the Central Asian countries.

"In this context, it is important to force Russia to act within the framework of a market economy. Transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Central and Eastern Europe via Nabucco West and TAP [pipelines] is not only an economic solution. Geographical location makes it a strategic decision," the former senator said.

According to him, Nabucco West will deliver gas to the energy-poor countries of Europe, and this will significantly ease the situation in those countries.

Furthermore, Nabucco will create favorable conditions for gas supplies to the U.S. allies. All this will reduce Europe's dependence on Russia and Iran, Lugar said.

He expressed confidence that the partnership relations between the two countries will continue to develop in the future.