European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is urging energy-rich Turkmenistan to forge ahead with efforts to supply natural gas to Europe, according to AP. Barroso was on a trip Saturday to the authoritarian Central Asian nation to try to diversify energy suppliers for the European Union's considerable demands. Observers say Europe is too dependent on Russia. While there is no immediate sign of a breakthrough on forging the international consensus needed to create a gas pipeline crossing across the Caspian Sea from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, from where the reserves could then be funneled into planned European routes, Barroso insisted the project was viable. President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said earlier this week that the country plans to up its gas supplies to Europe.
