Statements by U.S. Officials
Remarks by Richard Morningstar
U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy
Nabucco Signing Ceremony
Ankara
July 13, 2009
Mr. Prime Minister, distinguished heads of state, heads of government, other leaders,
I thank you Mr. Prime Minister for hosting this important event and for assembling this distinguished group of officials. It is a tremendous honor to be here along with Senator Lugar representing the United States.
Today marks a significant and concrete step in further expanding the East-West energy corridor. Once again, Turkey is playing a critical role.
In that respect, this occasion reminds me of another significant milestone in our shared vision to bring the resources of the Caspian basin to world markets – that also took place in Turkey. I’m talking about the Istanbul declaration, which laid the ground work for the BTC pipeline project.
The Agreement to be signed today brings us one step closer to achieving our shared strategic vision of linking the natural resources of the Caspian region to Europe. In our view, energy security is gained through diversity – diversity of energy sources, delivery routes and consumer markets and the Nabucco pipeline is an example of that diversity.
While additional hard work lies ahead, signature of the Intergovernmental Agreement is an important step in realizing the Nabucco project. This Agreement brings Turkey closer to Europe and emphasizes the critical importance of Turkey’s role in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
I would like to cede my remaining time to Senator Richard Lugar. Senator Lugar, one of our most esteemed Senators, is the former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is presently the ranking Republican member on the Committee, and has been a strong supporter of Nabucco and has long been an advocate of making energy security a central part of U.S. diplomatic efforts. This is an area where we have had a fully bipartisan policy.