Politics undermining Nabucco

ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Russia may undermine Western political progress on the Nabucco gas pipeline by courting potential suppliers in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, analysts say.

Europe hopes to diversify an energy transit sector dependent on Russia through the $10.3 billion Nabucco gas pipeline from Central Asia.

Nabucco was put at the top of the European agenda following a January gas row between Kiev and Moscow that exposed the regional vulnerability to a lack of gas transit options.

Andrew Kuchins, a Eurasian expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Nabucco would solidify regional partnerships around the common need for energy diversity, Today's Zaman reports.

"Building Nabucco will increase partner countries' stability in the South Caucasus," he said.

Nabucco achieved a milestone in July with the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between project supporters in Ankara.

The Ankara agreement may have underscored the need for Nabucco, though the project lacks firm commitments from potential suppliers in the Caspian region.

Rovsen Ibrahimov, an international relations scholar at Baku's Qafqaz University, said Moscow may undermine Western efforts to secure gas for the vital Nabucco artery with its Caspian diplomacy.

"Russia may impede the completion of this project by influencing Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan not to export their gas via Nabucco," he said.