A spokesman says the European Commission respects the refusal of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan -- with reference to Central Asia's differing traditions -- to sign the final declaration of the energy summit, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.
European Commission energy spokesman Ferran Tarradellas Espuny said that thepresence of the delegates of these three countries itself at the signing ceremony in Prague on May 8 is of highly symbolic value.
According to Espuny, the negotiations between the member states of the Nabucco pipeline consortium on the transit conditions of the pipeline are advancing well, and he is confident that an agreement concerning this matter can be signed in the near future.