Brussels, 25/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 20 February, the United States confirmed its support for the Nabucco gas pipeline project, due to be completed in 2012, which will connect Europe with the Caspian Sea area in order to provide the EU with gas from the Middle East and Central Asia via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria, avoiding Russia (EUROPE 9551). “Nabucco will be built” because its “commercial logic” is far greater than the other gas pipeline projects still in the gestation period, said the American deputy secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, Matthew Bryza, during a press briefing following a meeting with European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. According to the American politician, this gas pipeline, which may be fully supplied by gas from Azerbaijan, is a much cheaper alternative to the rival project South Stream, promoted by Gazprom, and would allow Europeans to reduce their consumption of Russian gas by one quarter. Mr Bryza added that this extra freedom from the Russian supplier may be increased by gas from Norway, which is potentially available within seven years, and which would reduce Europe's energy dependency by half. As with the Tbilissi-Bakou-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which they supported in the 1990s, the United States are interested in Nabucco for reasons both geopolitical and economic and will assist the partners in question - 6 energy providers are involved in the project, the Austrian OMV, MOL of Hungary, the Romanian Transgaz, the Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Botas of Turkey and RWE of Germany- to synchronise their decisions, said Mr Bryza. Lastly, the American spoke out against Gazprom's methods, whereby the price of the gas purchased in Central Asia “has doubled by the time it reaches Europe” to the benefit of “obscure intermediaries”. “Gazprom acquires infrastructure in Europe, rather than developing its own gas production”, Mr Bryza concluded. (E.H.)