U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR EURASIAN ENERGY MEETS MEMBERS OF U.S.-AZERBAIJAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar met with members of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce.
During the meeting, the diplomat made clear his position on the Southern Corridor, particularly on the Nabucco Pipeline and the Turkey-Greece-Italy Interconnector.
“How these projects are sequenced is a commercial issue. Both are extremely important from the diversification and strategic standpoint. They can help open up further upstream development, not just in Azerbaijan, but also in Turkmenistan and Iraq. But we also need to recognize that they are only one part of the puzzle and are not a cure-all for European energy security issues. Moreover, as far as Southern Corridor projects go, the United States supports any commercially-viable means of delivering oil and gas from the Caspian region to European and global markets”, he said.
Richard Morningstar noted “in the meantime, we hope Azerbaijan and its neighbors will maximize their production of oil and gas, including developing new sources, and we stand ready to help this production reach the markets”.
“By developing their hydrocarbon resources and delivering them via diversified routes to markets, the Caucasus and Central Asian countries can increase their economic development while bolstering their standing as independent, sovereign nations” the diplomat added.