TANAP not impediment to Nabucco pipeline

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

World Bank Turkey Director Reiser says TANAP not threat to Nabucco.

The Trans-Anatolia Pipeline (TANAP) project between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which will carry natural gas to Europe, will not pose an obstacle for the Nabucco project, according to Christian Dolezal, a representative for the Nabucco natural gas pipeline. He stressed that Nabucco is ready to get its natural gas supplies from TANAP on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

“Of course there have recently been positive developments regarding TANAP and we are closely following these. We want to play a positive role in this project. Turkey, along with BOTAŞ, is an important project partner for Nabucco and Turkey will continue to be our partner,” Dolezal said in an interview with the Anatolia.

Dolezal explained that he wanted the Nabucco pipeline, which begins at the Turkey-Bulgaria border, to tie into TANAP, and that he thought this would be a very positive development and one to be very optimistic about.

“We want to be in close cooperation with Turkey and to find the best way to link with Turkey. Of course, if the project materializes we are prepared to construct a pipeline, but this is Turkey’s call,” Dolezal added.

There are no problems regarding financing of the Nabucco project, Dolezal said. “We are continuing in the best way in terms of financing.”

Nabucco has signed a preliminary agreement to receive financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The 300-kilometer pipeline will begin at the borders of Turkey and Bulgaria and will transport natural gas to Austria via Romania and Hungary.