The FINANCIAL — ANKARA, Five of the six partners in the Nabucco gas pipeline project will sign on July 13 an intergovernmental agreement in Ankara on the transit of Caspian gas to Europe.
The ambitious project, estimated at $7.9 billion, is designed to pump Central Asian gas via Turkey to Austria and Germany through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary and around Russia. Gas supplies through the pipeline are expected to start in 2014.
The heads of government from Turkey, Austria and Hungary, as well as energy ministers of Bulgaria and Romania are due to attend the signing ceremony. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and officials from about 30 countries will also take part.
Sixth partner, Germany, who will receive gas from the pipeline but not transit it, is not taking part in the ceremony.
"Turkey views the Nabucco project as strategic and more important than the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline implemented to pump Caspian oil to global markets," diplomatic sources said.
Ankara believes that Nabucco will pave the way for the country's future EU integration.
However, Necdet Pamir, a Turkish energy expert, doubted that the signing of transit documents would give a true start to the project, with uncertainty over where the gas will come from.
"Azerbaijan has insufficient gas for Nabucco. Iraq is unstable, and it is not known when it will start exporting its natural gas to Europe. As for Iran, its involvement in the project is not considered possible until relations with the U.S. have been settled," Pamir said.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov hinted on Friday that his country was prepared to provide gas to Nabucco.
The project will be a continuation of the existing Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline and is to transport 20 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Two-thirds of the pipe length will pass through Turkish territory.
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq are being touted as potential suppliers.
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