March 28, 2009 - 15:38 AMT
Ankara is open to Nabucco project alternatives
Turkish FM said that Turkey was open to other alternatives regarding the Nabucco project, including the Russian gas, Iraqi and Iranian gas.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Friday that Turkey was open to other alternatives regarding the Nabucco project, including the Russian gas, Iraqi and Iranian gas.

Earlier on Friday, Babacan attended an international conference hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The minister said that Iraq had not passed a hydro-carbon law, which was putting off some initiatives regarding inclusion of the Iraqi gas in Nabucco project.

Babacan said what was important was the resource, i.e. the supply of the natural gas to pump through a pipeline, and the customers who would buy that gas.

The Nabucco pipeline is a planned natural gas pipeline that will transport natural gas from Turkey to Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. It will run from Erzurum in Turkey to Baumgarten an der March, a major natural gas hub in Austria.

Also, Babacan said Turkey had no concerns about a nuclear power plant project with Russia, and Turkey would politically support such a project.