RUSSIA DID NOT DERAIL NABUKO
NAIRA HAYRUMYAN

LRAGIR.AM
14:00:00 – 01/07/2009

Russian and Azerbaijan signed a contract on the procurement of
500 million cubic meters of gas a year. In order to conclude this
contract Dmitri Medvedev went to Baku. During a joint press conference,
Medvedev and Aliyev have repeatedly stated that the contract is not
political, but commercial, but this has not prevented the Russian and
foreign newspapers to state that the contract was merely to frustrate
the contract on the construction of Nabucco gas pipeline bypassing
Russia. The point is that in order to fill the Nabucco, its architects
had hoped for Azeri gas. The calculations did not entirely justify,
and the signing of the agreement is postponed till the end of July.

But, apparently, Azerbaijan has made quite a canny move. During the
press conference of the presidents, the statement that Russia has
bought the entire Azeri gas was not made, which Moscow sought. The
point is only about a part of the stock. Another part seems to go to
Nabucco. The sheep will be intact, and the wolves satisfied.

In general, Russia does not need such scale of the Azerbaijani gas,
because it does not solve the main problem – to derail Nabucco. So,
Medvedev’s joy is a good mine in a bad game.

As to Nabucco, according to the contract, it is likely to be started
being built in 2011. However, its final itinerary is not approved
yet. And there is another option for those who want to keep up with
global processes.

Notably, the Azerbaijani-Russian warming is happening against the
backdrop of acidic mine which Moscow built after Mikhail Saakashvili’s
visit to Armenia, and his awarding with the Order of Merit.