03-05-06
NATO's executives are ready to use warships to
ensure security of offshore oil and gas transportation routes from Western
Africa, said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO’s Secretary General, speaking at the
session of the foreign committee of PACE.
NATO’s Secretary General declined PACE members’ offer on using alliance’s forces
to ensure security for foreign oil companies operating in Nigeria.
Scheffer also refutes the information on connection between NATO’s wide-scale
manoeuvres scheduled in June and ensuring security of routes of oil and gas
delivery to Western Europe. Scheffer said the primary objective of these
manoeuvres is to check fast response forces of the alliance.
However, NATO’s secretary said, these manoeuvres do not imply NATO’s turning
into a "world’s policeman".
On April 30 General James Jones, commander-in-chief of NATO in Europe,
reportedly said NATO was going to draw up the plan for ensuring security of oil
and gas industry facilities. In this respect the block is willingto ensure
security in unstable regions where oil and gas are produced and transported.
In particular, NATO’s executives are willing to control air and water space in
production areas and along transportation routes, and raise the exchange of
investigation information among involved parties.
Source: www.trend.az