U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on Thursday said there were
difficulties with a Russian plan for a new gas pipeline to Europe and said Washington wanted to
encourage diversity of supply.
Speaking ahead of an energy summit inAzerbaijanthat will promote alternative energy supply routes from the Caspian
region to Europe, Bodman said a Russian project known as South Stream that
would pass under the Black Sea "is a very
complicated project and requires more financing."
He said the U.S.
wanted to increase supply routes.
"We support projects which are being implemented by suppliers, transit
countries and energy consumers that will contribute to global energy
security," Bodman told reporters in remarks translated into Azerbaijani.
While Bodman didn't mention any specific projects, Washington
has strongly backed routes for delivering Caspian oil and gas to Europe that
bypass Russia.
Among these is the European Union's flagship Nabucco gas pipeline and a
proposed pipeline under the Caspian to deliver gas from Central Asian countries
toAzerbaijan. South Stream, in contrast, would transport Russian gas across the
Black Sea into Bulgaria and
on to southern and Central Europe.
Attending Friday's energy summit in Baku will be
the leaders ofAzerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland,
Turkey and Ukraine.