The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 31 2008
Armenia-Azerbaijan rivalry
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, December 31
The NABUCCO natural gas pipeline project plans are at an advanced
stage. Now all the players are actively trying to get the biggest
slice of the cake.
After the August Russian aggression Armenia became very active in
trying to persuade the NABUCCO initiators to run the pipeline through
its territory. Yerevan thinks it will thus improve its relations with
Turkey and thereby persuade Azerbaijan to make certain
concessions. Armenian PM Tigran Sarkisian, in an interview, has stated
that the country’s leadership is attentively following the development
of the NABUCCO project plans. The country suggests two possible
options which would gave it an advantage, the transit of natural gas
from Central Asia and from Iran.
Of course Armenia suggests that any pipeline should pass through its
territory and then on to Turkey. However Azerbaijan is one of the key
players in the NABUCCO project and it is against Armenia being
involved unless the Karabakh problem is solved.