Armenia-Azerbaijan rivalry

The NABUCCO natural gas pipeline project plans are at an advanced stage. Now all the players are actively trying to get the biggest slice of the cake.

After the August Russian aggression Armenia became very active in trying to persuade the NABUCCO initiators to run the pipeline through its territory. Yerevan thinks it will thus improve its relations with Turkey and thereby persuade Azerbaijan to make certain concessions. Armenian PM Tigran Sarkisian, in an interview, has stated that the country’s leadership is attentively following the development of the NABUCCO project plans. The country suggests two possible options which would gave it an advantage, the transit of natural gas from Central Asia and from Iran.

Of course Armenia suggests that any pipeline should pass through its territory and then on to Turkey. However Azerbaijan is one of the key players in the NABUCCO project and it is against Armenia being involved unless the Karabakh problem is solved.