BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24 (UPI) — Azerbaijani officials Wednesday said there are no plans to alter the route of the proposed Nabucco pipeline through Armenian territory.
Turkish media had reported Ankara spoke with officials in Armenia about the possibility of altering the Nabucco route to Europe.
Construction on the 2,000-mile pipeline from Caspian gas fields to Europe is slated for 2009. Azeri officials, however, denied the plans included Armenia, Trend Capital News reported.
“The route of Nabucco has already been determined. It will run through territory of Azerbaijan and Georgia, onwards to Turkey, Greece up to Italy,” said Ali Hasanov with the Public Policy Department in Baku.
Hasanov said Baku “has repeatedly stated” it will not deal with Armenia until it releases territory Azerbaijan claims is under occupation.
Europe and the United States back development of the Nabucco pipeline as a means of easing Europe’s dependency on Russian energy.