SINAN OGAN: NABUCCO MAP TO BE RE-DRAWN

news.am
Nov 13 2009
Armenia

In the light of recent Turkish-Iranian agreements, the Nabucco map
will be "re-drawn," Sinan Ogan, Chairman of the Turkish Center
for International Relations & Strategic Analysis, stated at the
Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic
of Azerbaijan. He accounts for the amendments to the project by the
Turkish-Iranian agreement on gas supplies to Europe.

Formerly, the main aim of the West and Europe was to organize gas
supplies from Azerbaijan and Central Asia, whereas the issue of
receiving Iranian gas with further involvement of Iraq and Egypt in
transit has come to the forefront now. According to Ogan, the West
has started a subtler political game in the South Caucasus and the
neighboring regions, which, however, does not at all mean that the
West is not interested in Azerbaijani gas, especially as because an
infrastructure for gas transit from Azerbaijan to Turkey and further
to Europe is operating.

As regards the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations, Ogan once again
underlined their importance. He pointed out that the USA and Russia
are against a stronger Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance, doing their best
to impede the process. "Our states must establish a closer dialogue,
all the more so because serious tasks are to be accomplished next
year," Ogan said, mentioning impending problems in the context of the
Armenian Diaspora’s efforts to push an Armenian Genocide resolution
through the U.S. Congress.

"Faced with external threats and challenges, we must be ready for
new provocations, and our countries’ leaders must ensure mutual
understanding in order to jointly oppose the adversaries’ intrigues,"
Ogan said.