The head of the European Committee José Manuel Barroso is going to
visit two countries which are to be the main exporters of gas from the
Caspian region. The European companies have to decide which of “South
Corridor” projects is more profitable and reasonable. European
politicians will do their best to promote Nabucco project presupposing
transferring of gas from the Caspian region by-passing Russia.
Barroso believes in Nabucco’s success and is going to visit Azerbaijan
and Turkmenistan. However, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
thinks that Nabucco has less chance to succeed than the Russian
project “South Stream” which starts its operation in 2014.
The agenda of Barroso’s visit includes the problem of financial
guarantees of the EU to this project. Nabucco is not only the
economical but also the political project. Europe doesn’t need as much
gas as the two under construction pipelines will give it. Moreover,
Europe is on the verge of a financial crisis. The level of gas import
is much lower than it used to be. That is why it is strange that
European politicians continue to promote Nabucco. There is no need in
it.
However, it is profitable for Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Turkey.
Turkey is a country of a great importance, as any pipeline from the
Central Asia to Europe must be built through its territory. But Turkey
will do its best to shift from a transit country to a gas exporter.
Thus, it supports Nabucco.
With such a lot of political attention, Nabucco has to be implemented.
So the main aim of Barroso’s visit is another prompt that Azerbaijan
and Turkmenistan are very important for the EU considering the Nabucco
project.
Elmira Tariverdieva. Baku. Exclusively for VK.
