"Nabucco and South Stream are not competitors, but complementary" –  Paolo Scaroni, at the Black Sea Energetic Forum

Paolo Scaroni – multinational Eni CEO, and Richard Morningstar – special US envoy for energy issues in the Eurasian zone, talked in the opening of the Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum about Nabucco, South Stream and the energy resources in the area. „All the countries in the Black Sea region need to form a coalition, to work together to put to good use the energetic resources”, Morningstar said. The forum takes place on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2.

„It will be difficult to reach a consensus at the EU level in the period to come. That is why the countries bordering the Black Sea need to form a coalition. It is capital that these countries act together”, Richard Morningstar stated. According to him, the US policy is not anti-Russian and the US wants to co-operate with Russia. In regards to Europe, he added: „We’d like to see a strong Europe; we want the regional states to develop their resources. (…) We want these countries to strengthen their economies and put their resources to good use”.

In the opinion of Paolo Scaroni, multinational Eni CEO, the main strategic priority addressing the energy is replacing and diversifying resources. „If you had asked me last year which is Europe’s main problem, I would have answered energetic security. Today, due to the crisis, the energy consumption dropped massively and the problem seems to be forgotten, but is still a major issue. Therefore, there is a need to diversify resources and new regulation”, Paolo Scaroni explained.

Romanian businessmen and politician Dinu Patriciu, present at the Energy Forum asked Sacroni if he considered South Stream and Nabucco to be competitors or complementary. Scaroni said they were complementary.

The Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum 2009 is organised by the US Atlantic Council and is supported by the Romanian Economy and Foreign Affairs Ministries. For two dates, the debates will be attended by political and economic leaders and multinationals representatives. The discussions will revolve around energy issues in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region.

The business environment will be represented by companies like Areva, DEPA, ExxonMobil, Sabanci Energy Group, Hellenic Petroleum, TNK-BP, Enel Romania, Hunt Oil, OMV, Sabanci Energy Group, Schlumberger, Petrom, SOCAR, Mitsubishi Corporation. Plus Economy, Energy, Tourism, Environment ministers will take the stand, as well as representatives of key companies from Romania, USA, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine. See the programme HERE.