18:00, 13 July 2009

Nabucco treaty signed in Turkey

Heads of the governments of Turkey, Austria and Hungary, and of energy companies from Bulgaria and Romania have initialled the intergovernmental treaty on the Nabucco Project.

As reported by the ITAR-TASS, the signing ceremony took place in the Turkish capital, where over 30 officials from foreign countries and the European Union arrived. The Radio of Russia adds that Germany is also a party to the Project, but it did not sign the treaty as it is not a transit country.

Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his hope for participation of Russia and Iran in the Nabucco Project, which assumes delivery of natural gas from the Caspian basin to Europe bypassing Russia.

Mr Erdogan has named the signing of the treaty to be "a historical moment" laying a legal basis for implementing the Project.