PM Victor Ponta: /…/

This moment means on the one hand, there approaches moment when the final decision will be made by Shah Deniz Consortium on the route for the gas transport from Caspic area to Europe. We are only one day away from the European Council that should make strategic decisions on the energy future of Europe, and in this context, the Nabucco West project represents from Romania’ standpoint, and I am here today to tell it very clearly – represents a strategic project, a project which implies economic development for all beneficiary countries and for the region, which represents an important opportunity for Romania, and for all the countries involved in this project and which also represents a sustainable project economically, because I consider that similarly important as strategic interest, is the economic sustainability of a project, also, important. Romania was involved and is obviously through Transgaz, one of the countries that firmly supports the achievement of this project, even if compared to other countries in the area, our dependence on the gas to be transported through this project is smaller, but on the average and long term, for Romania, for the region, because this year, we will be able to transport gas to the other countries of the region, I refer first to the Republic of Moldova, therefore, for the entire region, the achievement of this project is a development chance and a chance to energy security, reducing dependence on a single producer, surely for Romania and for the entire region, for Europe, represents a strategic major interest.
I think all elements that have been thought in this period, namely a competitive commercial offer, regulation measures, a safe market and on downward trend, the political will of the Governments but also the interest of direct investors, all these are arguments for the decision to be taken soon to be a decision conducive to the project implementation.
On this occasion, I want to appeal to all countries, all companies involved to show clearly determination and a clear decision to back the project. Today, in the Romanian Parliament, in the Chamber of Deputies – the decisional chamber – there will be given the final vote for the special Romanian law on Nabucco project and I think that this political message from Romania, doubled with the messages that all participants today will convey, will be clearly received as a joint vision on the project.
Even if tomorrow, within the European Council, there are countries that support the Nabucco project and there are countries that have, let us say, reservations about this route, I think the EU is duty bound to support a fair and sustainable vision and Nabucco West project represents such a project, and certainly it should be supported, not only for the interests of countries in the region, but for the EU development interest.
I want to thank, on behalf of the Romanian Government, all who made efforts to bring us to this point today, the European Commission and Commissioner Oettinger, Nabucco International Company representatives, management and promotion of the project, partner states governments and companies in the consortium contributed decisively for this project to be considered feasible project and I am confident that in the near future, Shah Deniz Consortium's decision will be in favor of this project.
I want to say once again that the Romanian Government backs with all the efforts the project achievement, we will cooperate with all governments and all companies investing in the project and that, being a quite young politician, I hope to attend the inauguration and commissioning operation of the project. Thanks and good luck!