Romania says in advanced talks over Nabucco supplies

BUCHAREST, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Romania is in advanced talks with Asian states to secure supplies for a planned natural gas pipeline designed to reduce Europe's energy dependence on Russia by transporting gas from the Caspian and Middle East from 2014.

"We are in advanced talks with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan ... to import gas for the Nabucco pipeline," Deputy Economy Minister Tudor Serban told an energy seminar. He would not elaborate.

Nabucco's shareholders are Hungary's MOL MOLB.BU, Romania's Transgaz TGNM.BX, Bulgaria's Bulgargaz, Turkey's Botas, Germany's RWE (RWEG.DE) and Austria's OMV (OMVV.VI).

The pipeline is seen pumping as much as 31 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, but its construction has been questioned already because of limited supplies and infrastructure. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Writing by Radu Marinas; Editing by William Hardy)