U.S.-Azeri relations strong on energy

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Cooperation in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and the United States remains strong following a military conflict in nearby Georgia, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. envoy for Eurasian energy, C. Boyden Gray, met with officials in the Azeri capital, Baku, to express his satisfaction with the relationship in the energy sector and the importance of oil and gas arteries in the region, the Azeri Press Agency said Wednesday.

Gray said the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline were of particular concern to the United States, though those concerns extended beyond the Caucasus.

"Many things depend on Turkey's action for security of pipelines," he said.

The U.S. envoy also denied reports in the Russian media that Azerbaijan had opposed development of the rival Nabucco natural gas pipeline, adding diversification depended on several projects.

"We all focus on the Nabucco project, but we do not have to forget that there are also other projects which enable us to transport the energy resources to Europe," said Gray.

Meanwhile, Hungarian news service Magyar Tavirati Iroda said Wednesday Budapest plans to host in October a conference of energy firms expressing interest in the Nabucco pipeline.

Hungarian State Secretary Marta Fekszi Horvath announced the meeting before the Hungarian Parliament, noting the Nabucco project and the Russian-backed South Stream pipeline were important to the country.