Russia hurts European energy security

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Russia worked to prevent Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan from moving into the European natural gas market, the former head of the state-run Azeri oil company said.

Sabit Baghirov, the former president of the State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic and current head of the Center of Economic and Political Studies, said Russia is undermining attempts to diversify the European energy sector by courting Caspian suppliers.

"Russia attempts to prevent the supply of Azerbaijani and Turkmen gas to European markets by all means," he said.

Baghirov said Russian aggression in the energy sector made the Western-backed Nabucco pipeline attractive to Azerbaijan, but cautioned the project may not have adequate supplies to replace Russian gas to Europe, Azeri news agency Today.Az reported Thursday.

"Nabucco will allow meeting the growing consumption of gas in the (European Union) countries not from Russian sources," he said. "It means that Nabucco is not intended to replace Russian gas with another."

Nabucco is a planned natural gas pipeline to bring Caspian gas to European markets through Turkey.

Russia embraces the South Stream pipeline as a rival to Nabucco, though Baghirov said Moscow fears a declining influence in the Caspian region more than Nabucco.