Gas dispute may spur plans for Balkan pipeline

Reuters ^ | January 25, 2009 | Balazs Koranyi

[Tailgunner Joe]

BUDAPEST, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine has given fresh impetus to plans to build a pipeline through Turkey and the Balkans, bringing Central Asian gas to Western Europe.

At the instigation of Hungary, European Union and Central Asian officials meet in Budapest on Tuesday to try to breathe new life into the 10-billion-euro ($12.96 billion) Nabucco scheme and reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas.

"There isn't a PR campaign in the world that could have given the Nabucco as much attention as the Russian-Ukrainian dispute did," Hungarian government spokeswoman Bernadett Budai, said. "This is the best opportunity in years to make progress."

The contract row between Moscow and Kiev led to a cut-off of supplies of Russian gas affecting millions of people in central Europe in early January.

The Nabucco plan envisages piping gas 3,300 km (2,000 mile) from the Caspian region through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to a distribution hub in Austria. Nabucco aims to meet 5 percent of Europe's gas needs.

[freeangel]

“the gas dispute”

One might think there would be a lesson to be learned by the US here.

[WellyP]

Wouldn’t it be nice if they could run the new pipeline right up Putin’s butt and out his mouth!

[WellyP]

Obama, Pelosi and Reid aren’t into lessons. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are into Obama, Pelosi and Reid!

[az_gila]

...and Clinton (the bent one, not his missus) deserves a commission for the invasion of Kosovo - creating one of the proposed pathways for the gas pipelines to the EU.
Remember, it was a NATO sponsored attack, not a UN one, like Iraq.

http://www.roconsulboston.com/Pages/InfoPages/Businesspages/Oilmaps/EUGaslNet.html