We, the participants of the Nabucco Summit held in Budapest on the 27th of January 2009,
Attaching great importance to the diversification of hydrocarbon sources, markets and routes of delivery based on the principles of market economy, transparency, reliability, predictability, free competition and mutual benefits, as well as to the uninterrupted and secure supply of natural gas for the domestic markets of all countries at competitive prices and conditions,
Considering that the harmonisation of the interests of energy consumers, suppliers, transit countries and energy companies is a prerequisite of the overall energy security, which will also contribute to the economic development and prosperity of the countries concerned,
Underlining that the growing interdependence between energy producing, consuming and transit countries requires a strengthened partnership among all stakeholders with a view to enhancing energy security,
Emphasising, against the background of growing energy supply concerns in the transit and consumer countries, the viability of additional energy supply projects, complementing deliveries from existing routes and suppliers,
Bearing in mind in this context the EU-Central Asia Strategy and the European Neighbourhood Policy, as important frameworks for enhancing relations of the European Union and countries of the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East in the field of energy security,
Aware of the necessity to create a new energy corridor (the Southern Energy Corridor) linking the European Union, Turkey and Georgia to the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East,
Considering Nabucco an innovative, viable and robust priority project to directly connect the natural gas suppliers of the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East to the European Union, Turkey and Georgia, and encouraging the upcoming European Council to be held on 19-20 March 2009 to place Nabucco among the Union’s priority energy projects,
Reiterating the importance of the Ministerial Statement on the Nabucco Gas Pipeline project signed in Vienna on 26 June 2006,
Acknowledging the progress achieved in the preparation of this project due inter alia to the efforts made by the countries party to the project, the European Commission, the Nabucco International Ltd. and other stakeholders to further accelerate the early implementation phase, to secure the necessary volumes of natural gas for the pipeline, to complete the legal framework (intergovernmental agreement and project support agreements), and to exempt the project from the EU Gas Directive according to the provisions of Article 22,
Welcoming all endeavours aimed at increasing the natural gas production in the countries of the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East, in particular the efforts the Republic of Azerbaijan makes to develop Shah Deniz and other gas fields, as well as the efforts of other interested partners to transport gas through the Caspian Sea to the consumer countries, which fit well with the goals of the Nabucco pipeline project,
Highly appreciating the results of the Baku Energy Summit of the 14th of November 2008, particularly concerning the Nabucco project,
Reiterating our strong commitment to the Nabucco pipeline project,
Deciding to further expand the mutually beneficial cooperation among the producer, transit and consumer countries, international institutions and energy companies to create the necessary political, legal, economic and financial conditions for the successful and prompt realization of the Nabucco pipeline project,
We express our willingness to
• support the development of a clear, transparent and cost-based transmission regime along the entire length of the Nabucco pipeline;
• strongly encourage foreign direct investment in the source and transit countries, as well as the transfer of know-how and technology, which require active participation of energy companies;
• foster cooperation among the European Union, its Member States, Turkey, Georgia, the countries of the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East, aiming at the creation of an effective energy partnership including reliable ways of meeting the domestic needs of producing countries, transit countries and European markets;
• actively support all initiatives and proposals that would secure the above objectives, inter alia
o the proposal of the European Commission and Turkey to establish the Caspian Development Corporation, a concerted sector initiative to combine political, legal and commercial resources to build a strong link across the Caspian Sea;
o Turkmenistan’s intention to hold a high-level conference in 2009 based on the Resolution of the 63rd Session the United Nations General Assembly on the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring the Sustainable Development and International Cooperation initiated by Turkmenistan;
o the Sofia Energy Summit “Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership” to take place on 24-25 April 2009;
o the “Southern Corridor Summit” to be organized by the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 7 May 2009;
o the closing event of the Nabucco Intergovernmental Conference and signing of the agreement in the first half of 2009 in Turkey.
Budapest, January 27, 2009