Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA2479
2007-09-25 06:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
NABUCCO PIPELINE: AUSTRIA INVITES AZERBAIJAN'S STATE
how-toVZCZCXRO6661 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDIR RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHVI #2479 2680641 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 250641Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8640 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC
UNCLAS VIENNA 002479
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON ETTC EPET AU
SUBJECT: NABUCCO PIPELINE: AUSTRIA INVITES AZERBAIJAN'S STATE
COMPANY TO PARTICIPATE
REFS: VIENNA 2423 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS VIENNA 002479
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON ETTC EPET AU
SUBJECT: NABUCCO PIPELINE: AUSTRIA INVITES AZERBAIJAN'S STATE
COMPANY TO PARTICIPATE
REFS: VIENNA 2423 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) On the occasion of a visit to several Central Asian
countries, an Austrian business delegation, headed by Minister of
Economics and Labor Martin Bartenstein, met with their counterparts
from Azerbaijan in Baku on September 21. Bartenstein and his Azeri
colleague Natiq Aliyev signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU)
should serve as the basis for natural gas delivery to Austria and
for linking Azeri gas to the planned Nabucco pipeline. The MoU also
states that OMV, the Nabucco lead company, will start negotiations
with the Azeri state company Socar (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Republic) about Socar's become a partner in the Nabucco consortium.
OMV will open an office in Baku to facilitate the talks.
2. (SBU) In background talks with Austrian press, Nabucco chairman
and OMV manager Reinhard Mitschek emphasized that Socar would be the
first Nabucco partner with substantial gas reserves of its own to
feed into the pipeline. According to Aliyev, his country is very
interested in supplying Western Europe with gas, and intends to
strengthen its role as transit country. Azerbaijan could deliver up
to 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to the Nabucco pipeline.
Mitschek said that also Turkmenistan, the country with the third
biggest natural gas reserves in the world, is in sight as supplier
to Nabucco.
3. (SBU) Over the weekend, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer told the
Austrian Press Agency that "we would build the Nabucco pipeline in
any case", even if there is resistance from the U.S. because Austria
and the EU have to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. For
this reason, Gusenbauer was expected to hold talks with the Kazakh
and Turkmeni heads of state on the margins of his visit to the UNGA.
4. (SBU) Meanwhile, on September 22, a spokesman from the Ministry
of Economics and Labor reiterated the GoA's support for OMV's
exploration efforts in the South Pars gas fields in Iran. France's
request that Austria reduce its oil business in Iran would not
change this policy, according to the spokesman, who said that only
new EU or UN sanctions could change Austria's position.
MCCAW#
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON ETTC EPET AU
SUBJECT: NABUCCO PIPELINE: AUSTRIA INVITES AZERBAIJAN'S STATE
COMPANY TO PARTICIPATE
REFS: VIENNA 2423 AND PREVIOUS
1. (SBU) On the occasion of a visit to several Central Asian
countries, an Austrian business delegation, headed by Minister of
Economics and Labor Martin Bartenstein, met with their counterparts
from Azerbaijan in Baku on September 21. Bartenstein and his Azeri
colleague Natiq Aliyev signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU)
should serve as the basis for natural gas delivery to Austria and
for linking Azeri gas to the planned Nabucco pipeline. The MoU also
states that OMV, the Nabucco lead company, will start negotiations
with the Azeri state company Socar (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Republic) about Socar's become a partner in the Nabucco consortium.
OMV will open an office in Baku to facilitate the talks.
2. (SBU) In background talks with Austrian press, Nabucco chairman
and OMV manager Reinhard Mitschek emphasized that Socar would be the
first Nabucco partner with substantial gas reserves of its own to
feed into the pipeline. According to Aliyev, his country is very
interested in supplying Western Europe with gas, and intends to
strengthen its role as transit country. Azerbaijan could deliver up
to 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to the Nabucco pipeline.
Mitschek said that also Turkmenistan, the country with the third
biggest natural gas reserves in the world, is in sight as supplier
to Nabucco.
3. (SBU) Over the weekend, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer told the
Austrian Press Agency that "we would build the Nabucco pipeline in
any case", even if there is resistance from the U.S. because Austria
and the EU have to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. For
this reason, Gusenbauer was expected to hold talks with the Kazakh
and Turkmeni heads of state on the margins of his visit to the UNGA.
4. (SBU) Meanwhile, on September 22, a spokesman from the Ministry
of Economics and Labor reiterated the GoA's support for OMV's
exploration efforts in the South Pars gas fields in Iran. France's
request that Austria reduce its oil business in Iran would not
change this policy, according to the spokesman, who said that only
new EU or UN sanctions could change Austria's position.
MCCAW#