"This is just the beginning. We are not dependant on Nabucco”"

Mr. Muradov, what is a position of Azerbaijan in Nabucco policy?

We take very seriously the importance of this project. But I think that EU should be more active. I think that the project has parties, with Bulgaria excluded, too much thinking about how to work on Nabucco. And the more you think, the more complicated the question becomes. I can give you an example the project “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan” pipeline. And then there was discussion about whether there will be enough gas, many international companies and consortia were skeptical, but Azerbaijan was determined that this project should be implemented. And once the actual construction began, there were literally queues of companies that wanted to get involved in the project.

Today, this tube is a unique project. Not only economically beneficial, but its also a door for Azerbaijan to other countries. When we say that this project can not be paid, we respond – and why so many involved countries want to achieve and they need it. Europe’s energy security is not just in Europe. When the project started, I was sure that the number of countries who wanted to join, would be even greater. But I want to note, that the more we delay the implementation of the project, the more expensive it is.

How much gas is needed from Azerbaijan?

We are able to sell their gas to many countries in many fields; we are not dependent on Nabucco. But this is not the path we choose; we want to develop a European destination. Nobody doubts the profitability of this project. In Azerbaijan, specialists in the petrochemical industry are at the highest level. We develop this industry since the early nineteenth century. Nobel brothers build their initial capital that is in Azerbaijan, even in times when oil was exploited literally in buckets.

And what about the project for transportation of liquefied gas through the Black Sea?

Work in this area is active. The original idea for the tube to supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria was only the beginning. The project consists of two stages. The first is to build a factory to the port Kulevi in Georgia, the natural gas liquefies. When that is ready to proceed with the construction of the terminal on the Bulgarian coast, the tankers will transport the gas. The delivery of 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas in Bulgaria is only the beginning. It is envisaged that through this project for European countries to deliver 7 and 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually.


C. Kosturkova
/Standart News/