Regional Energy Security Fears Over Armenia-Turkey Talks
2009/05/09 | 15:39
hetq.am/en/politics/9246/
region politics
A May 8 news item in UPI.com focuses on the possible negative fallout
that a normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations can have on the
Nabucco pipeline. Fearing regional isolation, Azerbaijan, a friend of
the West, could seek a new champion in Russia, which has traditionally
been Armenia’s protector.
`That could be bad news if Azerbaijan chooses to sell its considerable
gas supplies to Russia instead of the European Union, a condition
Moscow would demand in return for its patronage, ‘ the UPI article
states.
The Czech presidency of the European Union on Friday hosted a major
summit in Prague to hammer out energy security in the region, calling
for implementation of measures on the long-awaited Nabucco pipeline
`as soon as possible.’
The Prague summit brought together energy giants from the Middle East
and Caspian region to work in harmony in the regional oil and gas
sector, but with Azerbaijan deeply offended by Turkish moves toward
Armenia, efforts toward unity could unravel, Britain’s The Daily
Telegraph noted.
Azerbaijan sits on some of the richest resource fields in the world,
notably the Shah Deniz gas field and the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil
complex. The EU puts considerable weight on those resources,
particularly as Prague urges swift action on Nabucco.