Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

The implementation of the Nabucco West project would contribute greatly to the achievement of the European Commission's policy priorities in terms of diversification and security of supply.

This was stated in a letter of the foreign ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania - transit countries of the Nabucco West Pipeline Project --sent to the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, Vice President of the European Commission Baroness Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger.

The letter hails Nabucco as an "embodiment of the European principles".

The ministers also reiterate that the Nabucco West project has the "tested political support" of their countries and emphasize the importance of the selection of this route as the European route for natural gas.

The letter expresses its authors' support for double diversification of sources and transport routes of energy. Double diversification, as the letter says, is a key component of a safe, secure and integrated European energy market.

The ministers believe Nabucco West is an ideal answer to Europe's energy needs.

"From its very inception, the Nabucco project has been an embodiment of the European principles and priorities in achieving energy security. It connects a new source of hydrocarbon resources to national markets that need them most, through new and safe transit routes," the letter said.

Nabucco West is a short-cut version of the Nabucco project, which envisages construction of a pipeline from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to Austria.

The consortium developing Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea is considering both TAP and Nabucco West, a rival pipeline project, as options for gas transportation to Europe. The consortium will make its final decision on the pipeline route in June and a final investment decision by October 2013.

The TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe.