MOSCOW. July 6 (Interfax) - Russia's agreements with Central Asian countries to build a pre-Caspian gas pipeline "are getting on Washington's nerves" because they do not fit its energy transportation strategy, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov told Interfax.

"The U.S. has been lobbying the idea of an East-West energy corridor for a long time. Its aim is to arrange the transportation of hydrocarbons from the Caspian region bypassing the territories of Russia and Iran," he said.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum pipelines have already been built, the deputy minister said, adding that "this notorious trans-Caspian gas pipeline is intended to support them".

"The political motives behind all of these projects are evident. The pre-Caspian pipeline clearly does not fit this concept, which has caused (Washington's) nervous reaction," he said.

However, he refrained from commenting on statements by several U.S. officials on the pre-Caspian pipeline.

"The decision to build the pre-Caspian pipeline was reached based on a careful calculation both of the benefit to the participants from the implementation of this project, and the conditions required to bring it into existence," Denisov said. He said that possible technical and ecological risks of the project have been reduced to nothing, because the pipeline will follow an existing route along the Caspian shore.

"As regards the trans-Caspian pipeline, which is mainly being supported by players outside the region, this route is still primarily virtual," he said. He said that the obstacles to this project include the fact that the status of the Caspian still has to be regulated, and also the ongoing dispute between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan over the ownership of a number of fields.

"In addition, the special nature of the Caspian should be taken into consideration. Here the risks are very high due to the closed nature of the water system, the geology of the sea bed and the presence of strong underwater currents," the Russian diplomat said.

As a result, he said that discussion of whether the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project is against Russia's interests "is not relevant."

In mid-May, after the signing of an agreement on the construction of the pre-Caspian gas pipeline by Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said that this is not good news for Europe, which should diversify its energy sources.

The pre-Caspian pipeline is to be built through Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The trans-Caspian pipeline goes through the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia.