The decision to either start the construction of the gas pipeline Nabucco or eventually close down the project will be made by the EU before the end of this year during a special conference in Brussels, ITAR-TASS reported, referring to diplomatic sources at the European Commission.
"The future of Nabucco is not yet clear, much depends now on the ability of the EU to conclude a strategic agreement on the long-term supply of gas with Turkmenistan - up to a term of 30 years - via the planned pipeline," said a high-ranking EU representative.
According to the available information, Brussels and Ashkhabad are involved in intensive talks, and the EU hopes that in April of this year the contract on supplies of Turkmen gas to the EU will be signed. As a result, Nabucco will receive the necessary amount of gas needed to turn the project "from the imaginary to the real", said the source.
The construction of the 3,300-km route from Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region to the south-eastern border of the EU, bypassing Russia, is expected to cost 7.9 billion euros.
On Thursday, the European Commission allocated 200 million euros for the creation of Nabucco. However, European Commissioner for Energy Gunter Ettinger said the money will be frozen until a final decision on the fate of the gas pipeline is made. If the European Union abandons its plan for its construction, the funds will be used to finance other projects in the energy program of the EU.
