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.