* Yesterday, in Astana, Gunther Oettinger, the European Commissioner for Energy, reaffirmed that the priority of the EU is the construction of a "Southern Corridor" by which natural gas from Central Asia would reach the European markets
The European Union is trying to convince Kazakhstan to join the project of the Trans-Caspian pipeline, a gas pipeline which is intended to transport natural gas from Central Asia to the European markets, thus avoiding the traditional routes controlled by Russia.
The Trans-Caspian pipeline would connect the shores of Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, underneath the Caspian Sea, and carry the gas to the European markets, via Turkey. From there, another gas pipeline, Nabucco, is projected to begin, which some European states hope will reduce the dependency of Europe on the Russian gas.
For this purpose, the EU has recently invited Kazakhstan to participate in the project of the Trans-Caspian pipeline, Gunther Oettinger, the European Commissioner for Energy announced yesterday, in Astana, at the Kazenergy Eurasian Forum.
The event, which has reached its sixth edition, brings together high ranking officials of the government in Astana, representatives of some of the biggest energy companies such as KazMunayGas, Exxonmobil or Chevron, as well as officials of the European and Central Asian states.
"The priority of the EU is the construction of a < < Southern Corridor > > (ed. note: a network of gas pipelines that would connect Europe and Central Asia) through which the natural gas of Central-Asian states and of the region of the Caspian Sea would reach the European markets", Gunther Oettinger said yesterday, emphasizing that the dependence of the EU on natural gas imports would increase over the long run, as its own output of gas is declining. "Europe imports 80% of its oil and 60% of its natural gas, and this
