MOSCOW. April 20 (Interfax) - The authorities in Moscow regret that certain countries in the West have been making attempts to politicize the project to build the Nabucco gas pipeline, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said in an interview published in the VIP-Premier magazine.

"The Nabucco project, as an alternative transportation route intended to guarantee gas supplies, is understandable. But it is with the deepest regret that we have to note that a very large number of articles addressing Nabucco and speeches of some of our respectable partners mostly in the West openly declare a desire to build a pipeline bypassing Russia," Denisov said.

"This is the kind of politicization that will eventually cause them to lose money," the first deputy foreign minister said.

"The pipeline will cross the territory of a dozen countries with different political realities, which is fraught with political risks," he said.

On the whole, the Russian authorities are unruffled by the Nabucco project, he said.

"If anyone finds gas that can be used to fill this pipeline, he is free to do so. So far, all plans rely on Azerbaijan's resources, which are not sufficient. Gaining access to the gas resources of Central Asian countries is problematic because of unresolved legal issues related to the construction of a pipeline across the Caspian Sea, which is a unique closed reservoir. Iran is not yet being considered by some potential participants in the Nabucco project as a reliable partner due to certain political reasons," Denisov said.