Doubts are rising as to whether the European Nabucco gas pipeline will ever be built, after a two-year delay and mounting support from several countries for a rival project, South Stream, which would not include Romania.
Talks concerning the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline, which would provide Romania with a supply of natural gas from other countries besides Russia and fetch revenues from taxes levied for the pipeline through Romanian territory, have been continuing for seven years, whilst the initial plan has experienced a two-year setback.
Bulgaria and Hungary have announced they have the financial capability to support both the Nabucco and the South Stream projects. The latter is a gas line that is promoted by Russia. The countries involved in the Nabucco project claim that it is not an alternative, but complementary.
European officials say Nabucco is the more advanced project, yet no suppliers have been selected and the necessary funding, 5 billion euros, is dependant on this factor.
Romania has declared its support for French Gaz de France to become the seventh partner of Nabucco. Traian Basescu stated after the meeting held with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, early this week, that the two had agreed that the French state-owned Gaz de France should become a partner in Nabucco, and in return receive support from Romania.
To bring a new member on board, however, requires the vote of all the countries involved, and the vote hardest to get, under the circumstances, would be Turkey's. Officials in Ankara are very hard to persuade especially after France passed an act condemning the denial of Turkey's genocide against the Armenians in WWI. Moreover, the current French president spoke against Turkey's EU membership in his electoral campaign.
"The decision to accept the seventh partner will be made by all six member
