Kazakhstan, Astana / corr. Trend K.Konirova / The Minister of Economy and Labor of Austria, Martin Bartenstein, said on 19 September during a meeting with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan, Sauat Minbayev, that Europe pays great attention to regional energy policy.
"We take an interest in projects realized through Baku initiatives, especially in NABUCCO which is one of the priority projects of the European Union," Bartenstein said.
The meeting focused on energy cooperation between the two countries. Bartenstein said that last year Austria imported 1.6mln tons of oil from Kazakhstan. The Minister expressed an interest in cooperation in the oil and gas sphere.
The Minister said that through the company OMV, Austria is interested in exploration and development of new oil and gas fields and joint work with 'KazMunayGaz'. OMV is the operator of the NABUCCO project.
The NABUCCO gas pipeline with a length of 4,000km will ensure gas delivery via the Mediterranean and Caspian gas to Europe through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Austria. The exploitation of the gas pipeline will commence in 2011. The project is estimated at €5bln. NABUCCO is being developed by the companies Botas ( Turkey), Bulgargaz ( Bulgaria) and Transgaz ( Romania).