Nabucco focus of Prague summit

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, May 5 (UPI) -- Prague will host a May 8 summit on the Southern Corridor of gas transit networks, where the Czech EU presidency is expected to push for the Nabucco pipeline.

Several members of the European Union and Turkey are expected to move on a Southern Gas corridor envisioned by the EU in 2008, which includes Nabucco and several other natural gas routes.

Turkey said earlier this year that it was waiting for a response from its European partners to sign onto agreements on Nabucco by June.

The delegation in Prague is expected to raise the issue of transports of natural gas from Caspian suppliers through a so-called Trans-Caspian link, which could be a foundation for Nabucco.

Draft declarations of the Prague meeting obtained by EurActiv say the summit leaders will attempt to define the terms of the Southern Corridor, dubbed the Silk Road of energy, in sweeping language.

"The concept for the Southern Corridor is complementary to other existing energy partnerships and projects of the EU and is open for the participation and contribution of third parties on a case-by-case basis," the draft reads.

Norway's StatoilHydro, meanwhile, is expected to push its 323-mile Trans-Adriatic Pipeline from Albania to Italy as a possible artery in the Southern Corridor.

With Europe pushing for ways to diversify its energy transit network away from Russian gas monopolies, the Prague meeting may add strength to that objective.