The 3,300 km Nabucco pipeline project is designed to bring 30 billion cubic meters of central Asian gas annually to Europe via Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Supporters say it is vital to wean Europe from its over-dependency on Russian energy.

Piebalgs will try to unblock talks for a gas transmission accord, EU officials told AP.



Turkey wants 15 percent of the gas flowing through the Nabucco pipeline for itself. The EU insists it must pay the normal transit fee.



"All transit arrangements should be dealt with on a commercial basis," an EU official said.



The European Commission is confident the Turkish transit deal can be signed by the end of year.



"In Turkey there is a strong interest to make the pipeline project happen. (Like the EU it) will also see shortfalls of gas" in the decades ahead, said the EU official.



After Turkey, Piebalgs will have talks with government officials in Azerbaijan.



Ferran Tarradellas Espuny, spokesman for Piebalgs, told New Europe, the EU energy chief will only visit Turkey and Azerbaijan on this trip due to time constraints.



"We only have time to go to Turkey and Azerbaijan," Espuny said, adding Ashgabat and Tbilisi were dropped from the trip’s itinerary.



"These were the obvious choices because Turkey is going to be the main transit country and Azerbaijan is the country which is going to provide the first gas."



Moscow has worried the EU by negotiating with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan for their Caspian Sea gas supplies to flow westward through Russia.



It is pushing the rival South Stream pipeline project promoted by Russian gas monopoly, Gazprom, which is expected to cost some $13 billion.



In recent years Moscow has cut off gas deliveries to Ukraine and Belarus, disrupting supplies to several European countries.



All Central Asian natural gas exports to the EU currently flow through Russia. Both the EU and the United States support the Nabucco pipeline, which is being developed by a consortium led by Austria's OMV. It also includes Hungary's Mol, BOTAS of Turkey, Bulgargaz of Bulgaria and Transgaz of Romania.



The project involves investments of 8 billion euros ($10.26 billion), according to EU data.