Centarfor9
06-25-2007, 04:55 AM
Thread for world politics discussions, political alliances, world order etc etc
Is Putin trying to get a better hold on Balkan nations?
Russia in the past has used their gas as a threat to nations and countries like Bosnia for example had to pay double for gas. (in the case of Bosnia it was the gas that they weren't even using --- gas that was used by other countries in which the pipeline went through).
Trust Russia on energy, Putin tells Balkan countries
by Nick Coleman Sun Jun 24, 2007
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/8421/putininzagrebng7.jpg (http://forums.soccerfansnetwork.com/)
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to journalists as he arrives to Zagreb's airport. Putin on Sunday urged the Balkan countries of southeastern Europe to trust Russia as a reliable energy supplier, as he outlined plans for a major new gas pipeline through the region.(AFP/Hrvoje Polan)
ZAGREB (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday urged the Balkan countries of southeastern Europe to trust Russia as a reliable energy supplier, as he outlined plans for a major new gas pipeline through the region.
Putin made his appeal at a meeting with the leaders of eight Balkan countries in the Croatian capital Zagreb hosted by Croatian counterpart Stipe Mesic.
He particularly hailed a new project unveiled on Saturday to build a gas pipeline under the Black Sea from Russia to Bulgaria and then build branches to Austria and Italy.
But there were signs of dissent among the leaders in Zagreb, notably Romania's pro-Western President Traian Basescu, who made a veiled reference to claims that Russia has used its vast energy resources as an instrument of political pressure.
Addressing the presidents of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia, Putin said it was essential to "strengthen mutual trust" between Moscow and the Balkan countries with regards to energy.
That, he said, would require "transparency, the rule of law and the absence of any discrimination in the openness of markets."
"Over 40 years, despite serious, really global changes in the world, Russia has not broken one of its contractual obligations, never," Putin said.
He said that in projects in the Balkan region, Russia would conform to "the highest ecological standards" and insisted that in the nearby Caspian Sea Russian firms had demonstrated higher standards than their Western counterparts.
Referring to the plan for a new gas pipeline under the Black Sea unveiled by Italian energy company ENI and Russia's Gazprom, Putin said Gazprom was "the flagship for cooperation with the Balkan countries."
Gazprom and ENI have already held talks with Bulgaria and Russian officials voiced confidence that other countries would also be interested in the project, expected to carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas per year.
"This is a very promising project. It will undoubtedly improve energy supplies to Europe as a whole," Putin said.
Among other projects that the Kremlin is pursuing is the planned Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline from Bulgaria's Black Sea coast to Greece's Mediterranean coast.
Putin said this pipeline would have a capacity of 35 million tonnes per year, which could rise to 50 million tonnes annually.
The Russian leader was careful to avoid any direct reference to political tensions, particularly over Moscow's refusal to advocate any solution to the status of the Serbian province of Kosovo that does not have Belgrade's support.
But in a response to Putin, Romania's president stressed the importance of energy sources that are viewed by Western governments as useful ways of reducing dependence on Russia, including the planned Nabucco gas pipeline that would bring gas from Central Asia and Iran.
Russia has run into resistance to its energy policies in the European Union and particularly in newer member states such as Poland, which fear they could be cut out of the supply chain.
"We will never accept the idea of using energy as an instrument of political pressure," Basescu said.
But Gazprom's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev insisted that projects such as the new southern gas pipeline would not endanger supplies to European states such as Poland and Ukraine that have sparred with Moscow over energy.
Russia envisages "a comprehensive system that will include all our export routes from north to south including existing routes via Poland and Ukraine. So it's not a question of alternatives. It's a question of optimisation, of increasing reliability, of increasing exports," Medvedev told journalists.
Natural gas - production(cu m) - Color Coded World Map - All Countries (http://www.indexmundi.com/map.aspx?lesson=y&v=Natural+gas+-+production(cu+m)) :D
Is Putin trying to get a better hold on Balkan nations?
Russia in the past has used their gas as a threat to nations and countries like Bosnia for example had to pay double for gas. (in the case of Bosnia it was the gas that they weren't even using --- gas that was used by other countries in which the pipeline went through).
Trust Russia on energy, Putin tells Balkan countries
by Nick Coleman Sun Jun 24, 2007
http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/8421/putininzagrebng7.jpg (http://forums.soccerfansnetwork.com/)
Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to journalists as he arrives to Zagreb's airport. Putin on Sunday urged the Balkan countries of southeastern Europe to trust Russia as a reliable energy supplier, as he outlined plans for a major new gas pipeline through the region.(AFP/Hrvoje Polan)
ZAGREB (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday urged the Balkan countries of southeastern Europe to trust Russia as a reliable energy supplier, as he outlined plans for a major new gas pipeline through the region.
Putin made his appeal at a meeting with the leaders of eight Balkan countries in the Croatian capital Zagreb hosted by Croatian counterpart Stipe Mesic.
He particularly hailed a new project unveiled on Saturday to build a gas pipeline under the Black Sea from Russia to Bulgaria and then build branches to Austria and Italy.
But there were signs of dissent among the leaders in Zagreb, notably Romania's pro-Western President Traian Basescu, who made a veiled reference to claims that Russia has used its vast energy resources as an instrument of political pressure.
Addressing the presidents of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia, Putin said it was essential to "strengthen mutual trust" between Moscow and the Balkan countries with regards to energy.
That, he said, would require "transparency, the rule of law and the absence of any discrimination in the openness of markets."
"Over 40 years, despite serious, really global changes in the world, Russia has not broken one of its contractual obligations, never," Putin said.
He said that in projects in the Balkan region, Russia would conform to "the highest ecological standards" and insisted that in the nearby Caspian Sea Russian firms had demonstrated higher standards than their Western counterparts.
Referring to the plan for a new gas pipeline under the Black Sea unveiled by Italian energy company ENI and Russia's Gazprom, Putin said Gazprom was "the flagship for cooperation with the Balkan countries."
Gazprom and ENI have already held talks with Bulgaria and Russian officials voiced confidence that other countries would also be interested in the project, expected to carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of gas per year.
"This is a very promising project. It will undoubtedly improve energy supplies to Europe as a whole," Putin said.
Among other projects that the Kremlin is pursuing is the planned Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline from Bulgaria's Black Sea coast to Greece's Mediterranean coast.
Putin said this pipeline would have a capacity of 35 million tonnes per year, which could rise to 50 million tonnes annually.
The Russian leader was careful to avoid any direct reference to political tensions, particularly over Moscow's refusal to advocate any solution to the status of the Serbian province of Kosovo that does not have Belgrade's support.
But in a response to Putin, Romania's president stressed the importance of energy sources that are viewed by Western governments as useful ways of reducing dependence on Russia, including the planned Nabucco gas pipeline that would bring gas from Central Asia and Iran.
Russia has run into resistance to its energy policies in the European Union and particularly in newer member states such as Poland, which fear they could be cut out of the supply chain.
"We will never accept the idea of using energy as an instrument of political pressure," Basescu said.
But Gazprom's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev insisted that projects such as the new southern gas pipeline would not endanger supplies to European states such as Poland and Ukraine that have sparred with Moscow over energy.
Russia envisages "a comprehensive system that will include all our export routes from north to south including existing routes via Poland and Ukraine. So it's not a question of alternatives. It's a question of optimisation, of increasing reliability, of increasing exports," Medvedev told journalists.
Natural gas - production(cu m) - Color Coded World Map - All Countries (http://www.indexmundi.com/map.aspx?lesson=y&v=Natural+gas+-+production(cu+m)) :D