BRUSSELS, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The energy commissioner for the European Union, Andris Piebalgs, plans to launch a diplomatic tour in support of the Nabucco gas pipeline, officials said.
Ferran Tarradellas Espuny, a spokesman for Piebalgs, told the European weekly New Europe the EU energy commissioner plans to visit Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan in support of the planned natural gas route from Turkey.
"We are going to publish a diary of the trip," the spokesman said. "In his blog we are going to make a daily entry from the commissioner explaining his experiences in this country."
The Western-backed Nabucco project is seen as a way to ease European dependence on Russian natural resources. It is rivaled by the South Stream project, a German-backed pipeline from Russia.
Piebalgs says the Nabucco pipeline is necessary for energy security in Europe. He hopes to receive political pledges of support from various governments during his visit, the spokesman said.
The commissioner is scheduled to depart for his trip Nov. 5.
