Turkey, EU Nations Sign Landmark Gas Pipeline Agreement

Turkey, EU Nations Sign Landmark Gas Pipeline Agreement

www.voanews.com

Turkey and four European countries have signed a landmark deal aimed at reducing Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas.

The prime ministers of Turkey, Bulgaria, Austria, Romania and Hungary met in Ankara Monday to approve the deal, which envisions a gas pipeline stretching from the Caspian Sea region to Western Europe.

The U.S. State Department hailed the agreement, calling it a "significant milestone" in achieving the U.S.-European shared vision of a new energy corridor.

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
The New Great Game
Iranian revolt Explained - Wake Up!

Well those of us covering "The Great Game" knew this type of agreement was going to happen. This will be the first of many new "Pipelines"

The west is gaining access to Central Asian Oil and is bypassing the Middle East and Russian Influence. This is a smart move Turkey being part of NATO insures the stability of the oil supply. Good for the EU and US.

I went into a good bit of research behind the power plays that are taking place on this subject in two of my previous threads links provided below.

Enjoy....


Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
The New Great Game
Iranian revolt Explained - Wake Up!
www.voanews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 13-7-2009 by SLAYER69]

The New Great Game

Turkey doesn't rule out Iran, Russia in Nabucco

Turkey's energy minister on Saturday said Iran and Russia may supply gas to an EU- and US-backed gas pipeline project in the future, even though the project is designed to reduce Europe's reliance on Russian energy and Iran is not a favored source.

Taner Yildiz made the comments during an interview with private NTV television, ahead of a ceremony on Monday when Turkey, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary will sign an intergovernmental deal to allow the pipeline to pass their territory

Nabucco, an American piece for a European orchestra

MOSCOW. (Alexander Knyazev, director of the regional branch of the Institute of the CIS, for RIA Novosti) - The European Union and Turkey plan to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the Nabucco natural gas pipeline project on June 25 in Ankara.

Why such a romantic name?

"Nabucco" is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi based on a biblical story about the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco (Nebuchadnezzar). It is also an enchanting story of love and struggle for power.

The latter element of the story is probably the only thing in common between the opera and the gas pipeline project initiated by U.S. President George W. Bush and based on some European and post-Soviet countries' non-love of Russia, as well as the global battle for elbowing Russia out of the Eurasian gas market.

en.rian.ru...

Originally posted by JanusFIN
Must Read article from F. William Engdahl...

The Eurasian Pipeline Calculus

Calculus has two main variants—derivative and integral. The Eurasian energy pipeline geopolitics between Turkey Washington and Moscow today has elements of both. It is highly derivative in that the major actors across Central Asia from China, Russia to Turkey are very much engaged in a derived power game which has less to do with any specific state and more to do with maintaining Superpower hegemony for Washington. Integral as the de facto motion of various pipeline projects now underway or in discussion across Eurasia hold the potential to integrate the economic space of Eurasia in a way that poses a fundamental challenge to Washington’s projection of Full Spectrum Dominance over the greatest land mass on earth.

globalresearch.ca...

Western Gas Pipeline Gains Ground

The 2,000-mile project was proposed in 2002 by executives of European energy companies wanting to reduce reliance on Russian gas, which dominates Europe’s energy market. It took on new urgency in 2006 and again this winter, when pricing disputes between Ukraine and Russia resulted in a cutoff of supplies to Europe.

Azerbaijan, an oil-rich American ally on the Caspian Sea, was seen as a potential principle supplier, though countries such as Egypt, Iraq and Iran — the latter despite American objections — had also been discussed.

YES! Let the games begin my friend. I will adding so much content to this..lol.. Its going to be amazing. Stay on top of this.

Does that solve anything.
The pipe goes through the Ukraine.

This is a duplicate. Please search prior to posting.

Click

reply to post by Mdv2


Different story about the same situation thanks for your input.

This is strange since Bulgaria has signed a deal along with Greece and Russia to build the Burgas pipeline.

I do hope that Bulgaria isn't trying to be the new whore for central balkan's region as last time it tried that move it went terribly wrong on their behalf.

Nabucco Gas Pipe Accord Signed as Europe Looks Beyond Russia

July 13 (Bloomberg) -- European countries planning a pipeline to reduce reliance on Russian natural gas today sealed an agreement that may help companies led by OMV AG find customers for the 7.9 billion-euro ($11 billion) project.

Officials from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria signed an accord in the Turkish capital Ankara on the Nabucco project, which will face competition from Russia’s OAO Gazprom. The U.S.-backed venture has been delayed by a lack of commitments from customers, transit nations and gas suppliers.

Just a simple heads up from RT. This could be a runaround as the Turkish proposal is fully backed by U.S./U.K. partners, so everyone is well aware that the U.S. is trying to move into the E.U. energy market.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Great Article SLAYER/

If only people now look toward what prophecy has to say about all things unfolding!

ICXC NIKA
helen

innersting read and good food for thought. Its a Rense article and I know many of you have "issues" with Jeff Rense, but the author F. William Engdahl, is an excellent writer and researcher who also has years of miltary and covert ops experience.

Washington Is Playing A Deeper Game With China

Washington Is Playing A Deeper
Game With China
By F. William Engdahl
Author of Full Spectrum Dominance -
Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order
7-13-9

After the tragic events of July 5 in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, it would be useful to look more closely into the actual role of the US Government's "independent" NGO, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). All indications are that the US Government, once more acting through its "private" Non-Governmental Organization, the NED, is massively intervening into the internal politics of China.

The reasons for Washington's intervention into Xinjiang affairs seems to have little to do with concerns over alleged human rights abuses by Beijing authorities against Uyghur people. It seems rather to have very much to do with the strategic geopolitical location of Xinjiang on the Eurasian landmass and its strategic importance for China's future economic and energy cooperation with Russia, Kazakhastan and other Central Asia states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

More at source
www.rense.com...

reply to post by silent thunder


Hi Tristar/

There's nothing wrong with,Jeff Rense.
The articles are by various authors and if one researched them, you'd find that they actually are more informative then the local news!

ICXC NIKA
helen

www.b92.net...

Serbia wants Nabucco pipeline too

“However, it is still not certain whether Nabucco will be able to secure sufficient amounts of gas for Europe, because it is common knowledge that there are problems with finding sufficient amounts of gas in order to make this pipeline attractive for investment, especially in a time of crisis,” the Srbijagas CEO said.

It seems that the result might be a "network" of pipelines rather than a set of separate lines.

First shuffling, then stirring...

Seeing that there are two identical threads i though i should post here what i had posted in the other thread.

Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant is by most authoritative accounts the least safe reactor in operation worldwide. Both Moscow and Ankara have their sights set on the construction of a new plant that could not only guarantee Armenia ample electricity but would also allow for export to neighboring countries. Most important, the way in which a new plant would be put in place could virtually ensure Russian control of those exports — and thus greater leverage over Turkey and potentially Iran and Georgia.
In return for Moscow’s cancellation of $40 million in debt, Armenia granted Moscow control of the Metsamor plant, which provides about 40 percent of Armenia’s electricity. The government has holdings in three other power stations as well: the Sevan-Hrazdan hydropower plant, the Hrazdan thermal power station and the Armenian Nuclear Electric Plant. These facilities generate about 75 percent of the country’s electricity, and with the purchase of Midland Resources’ 80 percent stake in the country’s distribution network, Russia can directly control or leverage the entire Armenian power sector.
Rosatom is set to build Metsamor’s replacement with a projected capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 megawatts, which is twice that of the current plant. Armenian officials have said the new reactor could allow for the export of 6 billion kilowatt hours annually, roughly equivalent to Armenia’s entire consumption last year.

In a Gazprom-brokered deal, Armenia is already set to supply Iran with electricity in exchange for the gas supplied by Iran in the Iran-Armenia Natural Gas Pipeline. During an April phone conversation, Gul and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan reportedly agreed to electricity exports to eastern Turkey of 1.5 billion kilowatt hours annually. The process is stalled at the moment reportedly due to “technical difficulties” on the Turkish side of the border. Armenia’s energy relationships with either of its major neighbors, however, cannot be expanded without Russia giving the green light and support. The vast majority of the income generated from Armenian electricity exports would go directly to Russian government coffers.

The control is set to expand. Rosatom is particularly interested in developing Armenia’s uranium fields in its southern Sunik region, estimated at between 25,000 and 100,000 metric tons. Rosatom’s Atompredmedzoloto, the world’s second-largest uranium mining company, and Armenia’s Environment Ministry have set up the Armenian-Russian Mining Company to begin development as part of a 50-50 joint enterprise. Production could begin as early as next year and any uranium exports would be handled by Russian firms.

www.moscowtimes.ru...

While Nabucco was approved and was greeted by European countries with much optimism, there are still critical questions which remain to be answered if that pipeline is ever to be more than a pipe dream. Nor will this pipeline take Russia out of the picture as the main supplier of European gas - its proposed capacity is nowhere near total gas imports of Europe.


The major question is who will supply gas to this pipeline? Sure Azerbaiajan is proposed as the primary exporter - but did anyone actually bother to sign a deal with Azerbaijan to acertain this? Recently Azerbaijan has been improving relations with Russia and is said to be close to signing a supply contract to transport gas/oil through Russian pipelines.

In addition to this, Nabucco's proposed capacity is more than what Azerbaiajan has to import. So do the Europeans know something we don't? Where is the extra gas going to come from? Iran? That would be interesting, seeing how the US is a major backer of the pipeline project. Or will another pipeline be laid through the Caspian sea? In that case the pipeline cost will balloon into tens of billions, and could render the whole thing financially unfeasible and inefficient. Also much of central Asian countries on the other side of the Caspian are under Russian sphere of influence.


Then there is the cost issue. Who will pay billions for construction of the pipeline? Technically Azerbaijan should pay a large portion, because it will benefit the most from gas exports, assuming that Azerbaijan will even use the pipeline. Untill the finances are worked out, Nabucco will remain a project on paper.



So the Great game may have begun, but Russia still has an edge in the European/Central Asian gas/oil market, and Nabucco won't solve the problems for Europe. It is not just about the pipeline, it is also about who manages to secure contracts and favors with exporting countries. Two major regional exporters besides Russia - Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan - already have transport contracts with Russia and are on good terms with Russia.

And what is so wrong with relying on Russia for gas imports? The real issue with recent distruptions in supply wasn't Russia but Ukraine - and Russia already has alternative pipeline Nordstream under construction to bypass Ukraine. Together with proposed Southstream, transport routes for Russian gas should be diversified enough that similar distruptions never happen again.

So as far as I can see Nabucco is still a pipe dream for now. Even if the issues are worked out, it will be at least 10 years before it becomes operational, and likely far more before it reaches full capacity.