Former German Foreign Minister to lobby for Nabucco

energy

Former German Foreign Minister to lobby for Nabucco

By SRI ⋅ June 29, 2009 ⋅

(SRI) - Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has been hired as a lobbyist for the Nabucco pipeline, the German Manager Magazine reported on Friday.

Fischer, a former Green Party leader and more recently a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, will reportedly sign a a six-figure contract with the Nabucco pipeline consortium for a political and PR consulting job.

According to the magazine, Fischer’s main task will be to negotiate with Turkey, a key transit country. Turkey has reportedly been stalling the project, linking it to a quicker EU accession process and demanding 15 percent of the pipeline’s gas as transit fees.

Fischer, who was one of the proponents of Turkey’s joining the EU, is reportedly highly regarded in the country.

Nabucco, backed by the European Union and the United States, would transport Central Asian gas via Azerbaijan and Turkey to Europe, bypassing Russia.

The fate of Nabucco has long been questioned, however, in face of fierce opposition by Russia and the unwillingness of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states to commit to supplying gas to the pipeline.