Nabucco pipelineIn 2006 Gazprom proposed an alternative project competing Nabucco Pipeline by constructing a second section of the Blue Stream pipeline beneath the Black Sea to Turkey, and extending this up through Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia to Western Hungary.

Romanian's Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said today that an intergovernmental accord for the Nabucco natural gas pipeline will be signed in Ankara on 13 July, 2009. The pipeline, intended to relieve European dependence on Russian gas,is expected to bring Caspian and Middle East gas to Europe as early as 2014, but the project has been delayed by lack of supplies and infighting among stakeholders.

Turkey, which has few hydrocarbon resources of its own,has delayed the signing of transit agreements by demanding 15% of Nabuccos 31 billion cubic metre capacity through put for its domestic usage or for re-export.

The resolution of that may help push the Nabucco project ahead of the rival Russian pipeline project South Stream by shoring up the transit conditions for the pipeline. Moreover Russia is trying to stop the "Nabucco pact" offering Turkey to participate just in South Stream project. "Turkey has problems with buying gas in Baku, Russia can help them as well. Turkey just have to collaborate with Russia ",- the Russian Minister of Energy Sergey Shmatko said. He also added that Russia might send more gas to Turkey by South Stream.

In the same time Turkish Minister of Energy claims that Turkey would never exchange Nabucco on collaboration with Russia... even with these conditions.