EUOBSERVER / BUCHAREST - Washington continues to support the EU-backed Nabucco gas pipeline, but this project is "only a piece of the puzzle" when it comes to reducing Europe's reliance on Russian gas, US special envoy for Eurasian energy Richard Morningstar has said.

"We support Nabucco. We support the Southern Corridor. It's an important part of the puzzle, but it's only one piece," Mr Morningstar told EUobserver on Wednesday (30 September) in an interview on the margins of a Black Sea energy forum organised in Bucharest by the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.

Russia will continue to be a 'major player' in the gas field, says the US.

Alternative technologies and energy efficiency were also important in Europe's bid to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, he said.

"More interconnections between the countries in Europe, more storage facilities, terminals for liquified natural gas (LNG) - all will help reduce dependence on a sole supplier."

But at the same time, Russia will be a "major player over the coming years. That's a reality," he noted, while making clear that the US energy policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia was not 'anti-Russia.'