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New Russian gas deal bad news for Europe: US
AFP
PARIS
Petroleumworld.com 05 15 07A gas pipeline deal signed over the weekend by Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, giving Russia access to gas from the Caspian Sea, is bad news for Europe, US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said here on Monday.
"It's not good for Europe," Bodman told a news conference during a meeting of the International Energy Agency.
"Europe needs to diversify its energy sources and Europeans should take due note of this."
The presidents of Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, meeting in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi, on Saturday agreed on the restoration of an existing pipeline as well as new construction on a route from Turkmenistan to Russia via Kazakhstan.
The deal represented a major triumph for Moscow, which has long pushed the route over a rival US proposal that would cross the Caspian.
The accord was also seen as likely to increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia. European officials have voiced mounting concern over the power that Moscow wields because of its massive oil and gas reserves, as well as its control of energy supply transportation from Central Asia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said concrete work on the project would begin in the first half of 2008 and would increase capacity along the route by at least 12 billion cubic metres per year by 2012.
Angel Gurria, head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, stressed meanwhile that "one should not use energy as a political tool or a source of pressure, but any time you can improve the infrastructure that's good news."
"Cooperation in energy is key to solving many problems."
AFP 14 1142 GMT 05 07Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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