During a meeting with Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Vayrynen, Yildiz declared that Nabucco should start delivering natural gas to Europe in 2017. The official deadline for the completion of the project and the first gas supplies is 2015.

"Yildiz explained that the gas pipeline Nabucco, to be constructed from Central Asia to Europe, will make Turkey an even more important geopolitical actor. The target for completion of this 4 000 kilometres long pipeline, passing through seven countries, is in 2017.

At that time, it could cover approximately 5% of Europe's energy needs. The completion of Nabucco would link Europe besides to the resources of Central Asia, also to those of the Middle East. This would enhance energy safety of Europe and would be an ideal tool for balancing prices," reads the announcement of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland about the Vayrynen-Yildiz meeting.

It is unclear what led the Turkish Energy Minister to "delay" the Nabucco project by two years; in a similar development in March 2010 EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said that Nabucco will be ready in 2018.

This led Nabucco Gas Pipeline International, the Nabucco consortium, to clarify Oettinger's words as meaning that the pipeline will operate at full capacity in 2018.

According to RusEnergy, a Russian consultancy, 2017 coincides with the planned development of Azerbaijan's gas field Shah Deniz II. Several days ago during a visit in Baku, Turkey's Energy Minister said Azerbaijan will take part in Nabucco after a careful analysis.

Read the Full Article from Sofia News Agency HERE