Russia’s attempts to hinder the Nabucco gas pipeline execution concern Turkey and the EU.

Turkey said that EU should “give more commitments for this project,” Turkish Daily News reported.

The pipeline will transport gas from Central Asia, through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Austria. Start of the pipeline construction is scheduled for 2008. The first gas shipments have to be made by 2012.

European Commission supports the projects as it will loosen Russian monopoly on gas supply in Europe.

Still, Russia managed to contract Hungary for gas supplies from another gas pipeline, Blue Stream, rival of the Nabucco project, Turkish Daily News said.

Hungarian decision worried Turkey as it counts on the Nabucco pipeline to increase its strategic importance for the EU.

Turkish officials said that the EU should pressure Hungary, if the union wanted to diversify its energy resources. Currently EU receives 60 per cent of its gas supply from Russia.