EU nations, Turkey sign deal

The prime ministers of four EU countries and Turkey yesterday signed a deal to build a major gas pipeline reducing European reliance on Russian supplies.

Prime Ministers Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Sergey Stanishev of Bulgaria, Emil Boc of Romania, Gordon Bajnai of Hungary and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann inked the intergovernmental deal, a landmark in the long-delayed Nabucco pipeline project, amid uncertainty on who will supply the gas.

European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso also took part in the signing ceremony.

Mr Erdogan said the legal framework for the construction of the pipeline would be completed once the Nabucco consortium signs separate agreements with all five participant countries within a targeted period of six months.

"The more steps we take (on realising the project), the more the interest of supplier countries will grow," he said.

Azerbaijan is seen as the primary potential provider of gas for the conduit, with Turkmenistan, Iraq and Egypt also mentioned for the long term.