TODAY.AZ / Business

Sabit Baghirov: "Most potential consumers of Caspian energy sources are groundlessly scared with Russia's actions in Georgia"

17 November 2008 [13:51] - TODAY.AZ
Day.Az interview with Sabit Baghirov, political scientist and former SOCAR President.
- The fourth Caspian energy summit, which has become a continuation of meetings of a number of Eastern European and Caspian leaders, has recently ended in Baku. Does it prove that Azerbaijan intends to play a role of one of the main energy suppliers, contributing to the resolution of the problem of energy security of Europe?

- Naturally, I share this opinion. If Azerbaijan has agreed to hold summit in its capital, this proves its intention to play an important  role in the initiatives, aimed at the settlement of the energy security of the European states.

- Meanwhile, by some information, Kazakhstan was among the countries, which did not join the final declaration of the summit. Does it mean that the potential suppliers of Caspian energy sources on the European market still have no common views on the issues of cooperation in the resolution of the issue of European energy security?

- Frankly speaking, I am not familiar with the text of the declaration, therefore, it is difficult for me to judge about the reason of non-participation of any state in the declaration.

- Anyway, can Kazakhstan's non-participation challenge the projects, which were in the center of attention of summit participants, such as Nabucco and Odessa-Brody?

- Certainly, it will be difficult to ensure resources for the said projects without Kazakhstan's participation. But at the same time, there are other potential suppliers, for example, Nabucco. It seems that today the European countries and Council of Europe will try to attain the agreement with Turkmenistan more intensively anmd perhaps will be intensively working at the variants of gas supplies from Egypt, Iraq and perhaps even Iran, if certainly definite achievements occur in the political sphere

- The recent events in Georgia proved that the oil and gas infrastructure of this country is not safe and can turn into the object of threat from the Russian side, as it is concerned with Europe's plans to lay pipelines from the Caspian basin bypassing the Russian territory. Is it possible that new threats appear for the current and perspective projects? Can we secure these projects from possible similar threats in the future?

- I think yes.  I think today the international community, European and US states will intensify boosting security of the projects in the Georgian territory and the security of Georgia. I think Russia will base on other position, as this country, after the said events in Georgia has faced an obvious resentment of Europe, the United States, and the whole international community. No one inside CIS has supported Russia.

Therefore, Moscow will hardly try to demonstrate force anymore.

Unfortunately, it seems that some countries are still scared with these actions which is I would say not too founded and this, unfortunately, influences definite talks.

/Day.Az/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/business/49033.html

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