For the Southern Corridor to realize its potential, the Governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece and Italy will have to stand together to overcome these and the many other sorts of obstacles that all complex energy projects confront. I know. I was involved in the creation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which came on line last year and which is making such a major contribution to global energy security. BTC was a difficult project, unprecedented in many ways, just as TGI is today. Yet it is now a reality. Now what happens if we lose patience? What happens if we do not coordinate? If we do not stay united to bring Caspian supplies into TGI? Well, some are saying that the alternative, filling TGI with Gazprom gas, isn't so bad. This certainly is an option. Yet we believe that, if TGI is filled with Russian gas, a huge opportunity for increased competition in the European gas market will be lost. Let me be clear: We're not against Gazprom gas. Gazprom already supplies 80% of non-European imported gas into the European Union and the firm has proved itself over time to be a reliable and committed supplier to most countries. But competition is good, and new sources of supply are even better. That is why the United States is diversifying its energy supply mix by working more closely with Gazprom, which has until now not been a major supplier to the United States. But within the European context, where Gazprom is by far the single most important gas supplier, if the Russians fill the gas pipeline to Italy, then Europe loses a tremendous and almost unique opportunity.
Now what happens if we lose patience? What happens if we do not coordinate? If we do not stay united to bring Caspian supplies into TGI? Well, some are saying that the alternative, filling TGI with Gazprom gas, isn't so bad. This certainly is an option. Yet we believe that, if TGI is filled with Russian gas, a huge opportunity for increased competition in the European gas market will be lost.
Let me be clear: We're not against Gazprom gas. Gazprom already supplies 80% of non-European imported gas into the European Union and the firm has proved itself over time to be a reliable and committed supplier to most countries. But competition is good, and new sources of supply are even better. That is why the United States is diversifying its energy supply mix by working more closely with Gazprom, which has until now not been a major supplier to the United States. But within the European context, where Gazprom is by far the single most important gas supplier, if the Russians fill the gas pipeline to Italy, then Europe loses a tremendous and almost unique opportunity.
In fact, last year, Condi Rice's visit to Athens was almost exclusively about pressuring Greece to reject Russian participation in the TGI pipeline... Anyway, Gazprom is indeed making advances in Greece, since as we all know money talks...
Note though that the B-A pipeline is bound to increase tanker traffic on the Aegean, which increases the likelihood of an ecological disaster, which makes a lot of people kinda queasy about the whole project, especially given the fact that ~15% of Greek GDP (and ~15% of employment) comes directly or indirectly from tourism... (and around the same percentage from shipping - so those dangerous tankers would be Greek-owned for the most part...)
On a final note, I'm not at all sure whether US involvement in the Greek civil war was about Soviet access to the Aegean (it was never realistically pursued by the Soviets and the US possibly knew as much) - but that's another discussion (and Albania has no coast on the Aegean!)... The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake
So, Greece is building a gas pipeline out to Italy, why not an oil pipeline? I guess Greece herself would have to foot that bill to avoid damaging Aegean tourism. But somehow I don't think the money is available.
And thanks for your much more detailed approach to my diary. Maybe yours should be flipped with mine somehow?
Two articles, written by Greek officials, might also be of interest:
Piebalgs praised the work Greece does for diversification of energy supplies to the European Union and to the world markets. "Quick realisation of the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis project will give much more chances to deliver oil from the Caspian region to the world markets," he told the press conference... The commissioner said he hoped that a new natural gas pipeline project expected to connect Greece with Italy will "ship gas from the Caspian area and... new suppliers." The pipeline would be an extension of the Turkey-Greece gas pipeline. Asked about Gazprom's participation in the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline, the commissioner told New Europe that so far he has not heard about such a plan. Piebalgs said the Commission hopes that the pipeline would carry gas from the Caspian countries. "We have enough Russian gas in our infrastructure. We are not short of gas from Russia, we are short from other suppliers," he said.
The commissioner said he hoped that a new natural gas pipeline project expected to connect Greece with Italy will "ship gas from the Caspian area and... new suppliers." The pipeline would be an extension of the Turkey-Greece gas pipeline.
Asked about Gazprom's participation in the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline, the commissioner told New Europe that so far he has not heard about such a plan. Piebalgs said the Commission hopes that the pipeline would carry gas from the Caspian countries. "We have enough Russian gas in our infrastructure. We are not short of gas from Russia, we are short from other suppliers," he said.
Well, a Latvian Andris Piebalgs may ask for help with gas supply his closest baltic neighbours - Estonians and Lithuanians. Their SS veterans who fought so bravely against nasty russkie and jews in ww2 are so happy now to be allowed to have fascistic demonstrations (in a free democratic way, naturally) that far... er... emit loads of gas while marching
