Washington opposes gas troika

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Washington opposes the formation of a gas troika between Russia, Iran and Qatar, the U.S. energy secretary said on the sidelines of an energy summit in Baku.

Energy officials from the three countries met in October to discuss forming a natural gas troika modeled after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said at the fourth Energy Summit in the Azeri capital, Baku, that such a measure does not bode well for European energy security, the Interfax news agency reported Friday.

Washington is looking to lend its political influence to help Europe move away from its dependency on Russia for natural resources by lobbying in support of several infrastructure projects in the region, notably the Nabucco gas pipeline through Turkey.

Bodman said that while the United States does not stand to make a profit from the regional energy sector, energy security in general is a top foreign policy concern.