Were Are Competitors

European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger Monday identified the Russia-launched South Stream gas pipeline as a potential competitor to the EU-backed Nabucco project.

"South Stream is likely to compete with Nabucco in the long term," RIA Novosti quoted Oettinger as saying Monday during a conference marking the 10th anniversary of the EU-Russia Energy Dialog in Brussels. It would be the first time an EU official openly identified South Stream as a serious contender to Nabucco.

Oettinger's statement contradicts the very recent statement by Yuri Lipatov, the chairman of Russia's State Duma committee on energy.

“I do not see any rivalry between Nabucco and the South Stream considering Europe’s increasing demand for energy," said Lipatov.