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Is there a future for the South Corridor?

Date: March 4^th 2010 Author: Anastasiya Georgieva Aleksandrova, Sofia Category: Articles
Topic: Natural gas

During the conference dubbed “Sofia Energy Roundtable” the ambassador Peter Popchev commented on the future of the project for the South Corridor.

He reminded about the Central China – Asia pipeline which China built to Turkmenistan. China succeeded in constructing a pipeline of the magnitude of Nabucco in just 2 years through offering a magnitude approach and help to all interested parties. He underlined that this was possible only due to the enormous trust between Turkmenistan and China.

PHOTO: © Jenny Woodworth/Dreamstime.com

Popchev outlined the problems in the Southern Corridor project. He reminded that the EU Parliament recognized that the commitment stated in Prague was not developed enough; it tended to enlarge the scope of southern corridors and is reserved towards supplies from Iran, so the question now is what will the new EU parliament say, having in mind that according the Lisbon strategy it has a commitment regarding the energy strategy.

Another major side – Russia has doubts about the Energy Charter Treaty and its principles and therefore there is a clash of convictions between the European Parliament and Russia regarding the Southern Corridor. USA is very consistently supporting the Southern Corridor and providing specific ideas and help through USAID energy council for this project.

Based on these issues Popchev ventured to express his recommendations, i.e. that it is a very positive project situated in a vast political space and it therefore needs a clear vision and concept. Secondly, that the European Parliament reviews its concept regarding the project together with all involved countries. And thirdly, he recommended further cooperation of the EU with US, Russia, China and Turkey because these counties have a strategic interest and their goals may be achieved by unifying the strategic goals and interests and these countries.

He concluded that Southern Corridor is unthinkable without public partnership approach in its fullest range, from A to Z.

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