Support Europe/ Eurasia Energy Security and Help Strengthen Our Strategic Alliances-- The Southern Gas Corridor Resolution

Floor Speech

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly, I am introducing a bipartisan resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that it is in our national interest to support and enhance Europe's energy security through opening of the Southern Gas Corridor.

Many of our allies in Europe are heavily dependent on natural gas supplies from one country or from unstable regions. For example, several European countries have experienced natural gas supply disruptions from Russia, the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, over various disputes. In addition, Turkey relies on Iran for 20 percent of its natural gas imports. And earlier this year, Islamist

militants attacked a natural gas facility in Algeria, which is the third largest exporter of natural gas to Europe.

The Caspian Sea region holds significant energy resources and proven natural gas reserves. In particular, the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan is one of the world's largest gas fields, with over 30 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. The Southern Gas Corridor will help our European allies diversify their energy resources by providing an alternative and reliable source of natural gas. This will bolster their energy security and help improve geopolitical stability in the region. Specifically, the pipeline will route natural gas from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

Current and past administrations have expressed support for the Southern Gas Corridor. At the U.S.-Azerbaijan Convention in late May 2013, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar stated:

``..... Azerbaijan's importance to European energy security will remain strong, helping to guarantee that our European partners are not overly reliant on any suppliers. Azerbaijan is now in the final stages of establishing a southern corridor for natural gas.

``..... our overriding interest is that Azerbaijani gas reaches vulnerable markets in Europe ..... ''

``..... the Southern Corridor would advance several U.S. and NATO foreign policy objectives: it would further isolate Iran, assist in cultivating partners in the Caucasus and Central Asia and bolster their sovereign independence, and perhaps most importantly, curtail Russia's energy leverage over European NATO allies.''

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