USA Wants Turkmen Gas to Reach Europe via Azerbaijan

Baku, 10 July 2007 --- “There are several options for future transit of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Azerbaijan is based on the approach of commercial viability. At the same time, Azerbaijan will be pleased to contribute to European energy security and Azerbaijan will be pleased, maximum possible, to extend partnerships with many countries in European Union, ” Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov told a special briefing following a security dialogue at the US State Department .

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew J. Bryza said that there is some building momentum in favor of the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline, both in terms of the commitments Azerbaijan has made publicly over the last few months to expanding its gas production and providing large volumes for export to Europe via Georgia and Turkey and into Greece and Italy. ‘Things are moving forward.’

“And part of what we’re talking about here today is trans-Caspian security in a broad sense, and we have a challenge to make sure that market principles decide where the other great quantity of gas around the Caspian, which is in Turkmenistan, where that gas or how that gas makes it to market. There is a large -- a huge supply of natural gas in the far western reaches of Turkmenistan, which, if the market decides, will make its way to Europe via Azerbaijan. But this is a topic not so much for us today, but it’s something we’re constantly working on with the Government of Azerbaijan.

And I’ll leave for Turkmenistan tomorrow to see if we can help Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan build on the momentum they’ve already created in their relations,” the Deputy Assistant Secretary said.

Source: APA, Baku (http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=30323)