Vagif Sharifov: "Europe should hurry with Nabucco"

"In fact, what does the diversification of energy sources mean? It means that when Europeans will have several import sources, it will allow establishing normal prices. This means that it will avert monopoly of Russian gas on the European market. Certainly, the Transcaspian gas pipeline can be built even under independent efforts of the regional countries. But the European Union itself should be interested in it", noted Sharifov.

He said, in fact an underwater gas pipeline is a difficult thing.

"Though there is an experience and there was a blue flow, despite the conditions at the Black Sea floor are more difficult than in the Caspian Sea. There is much sulphuretted hydrogen there and the pipe was built in those conditions, which is very dangerous. There is nothing of the kind in the Caspian Sea and it is technically easier to lay a pipe here", noted the expert.

As for Turkmenistan, he said today this country sells a greater part of its gas to Russia and when it will have another vector of supplies, it will be able to call a price, profitable for itself and then the countries and Nabucco member-states will be able to purchase gas not only from Russia, but also from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

"Moreover, it was recently noted that 8-12 bln cubic meters of gas per year will be needed for initial filling of the Nabucco project.

In fact, the region has this gas and I think that Europe should hurry with Nabucco and start its construction much earlier. Today English Penspen is holding the engineering of the project of the gas pipeline construction. But it should have been done earlier", concluded Sharifov.

/Day.Az/