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US criticizes Turkey-Iran gas deal
AFP
WASHINGTON
Petroleumworld.com 07 17 07The United States spoke out against a preliminary deal between Turkey and neighboring Iran to carry natural gas to Europe, with a top official suggesting the Islamic republic is not "reliable."
"We don't think that now is the time to be making such investments in that particular sector. Iran hasn't necessarily proved itself to be the most reliable partner in this regard," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, echoing earlier concerns by a US diplomat in Turkey.
"But again, it's a preliminary agreement and we'll see if it goes anywhere," he added.
The agreement was signed last week in Ankara after talks between Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler and Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh. It would allow gas to be piped from Turkey's eastern neighbor Iran and from Turkmenistan.
It is seen as boosting the prospects of a planned 3,300-kilometer (2,000-mile) pipeline project, known as Nabucco, to carry gas from the Middle East and Central Asia to the European Union via Turkey and the Balkans, bypassing energy-rich Russia.
Officials from the two countries need to complete technical work to close the deal.
"Nothing is final at this point," McCormack said.
"It's going to be up to the Turkish government, Turkish entities to decide whether or not they want to do business with Iran at this point in time. If you ask our opinion, do we think it is the right moment to be making investments in the Iranian oil and gas sector, no, we don't think so."
The United States has imposed economic sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment. Its uranium program has prompted global concern that the Tehran regime is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon but Iran insists it is seeking peaceful nuclear power.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Ankara, Kathryn Schalow, was earlier quoted as saying: "It does not seem wise to put increasing trust in Iran as a source and transit country of natural gas" when it is under sanctions over its controversial nuclear program.
Turkey already buys gas via a conduit from the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz to Ankara. This was inaugurated in December 2001 but the deal was frowned upon in the United States, Turkey's long-standing NATO ally.
AFP 16 2224 GMT 07 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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