2022-10-21 11:20:00
EUROPE AGREE DISAGREE
REUTERS - Oct 21 - European Union leaders will discuss cutting their economic dependency on China, aiding Kyiv and punishing Iran for its involvement in the war that Russia is waging on Ukraine when they meet for a second day of talks in Brussels on Friday.
The previous day, the 27 EU leaders locked horns over a joint response to the acute energy crunch that has engulfed the bloc since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
Their summit talks started on Thursday afternoon and ran into wee hours on Friday as Germany stuck to its refusal to cap gas prices and the 27 could only agree to disagree, declaring they will keep on examining options to put a ceiling on costs.
As they turn to foreign policy from 0800 GMT on Friday, they will have a "strategic discussion" on their ties with China after the bloc's executive said earlier this week the EU should see Beijing more as a competitor.
That comes ahead of the EU's first full summit with the ASEAN group of Southeast Asian countries planned for Dec. 14, which Europe is hoping will bolster trade and geopolitical relations with a region in the shadow of China.
UKRAINE, IRAN
Europe's reliance on Russia was laid bare when Moscow cut gas deliveries following its invasion of Ukraine, leaving the EU grappling not only with a political, security and humanitarian crisis across its border, but also an energy one.
On Thursday, the EU imposed swift but limited sanctions on Iran for supplying drones for Russia's war in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that this century has sought to integrate with the West against vehement opposition from the Kremlin.
Some EU countries want wider sanctions against Iran, and the summit will also condemn Tehran's use of force against protests sparked by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained for "inappropriate attire".
Poland and the three Baltic states have also proposed more sanctions against Russia, including a ban on importing diamonds, but that is unlikely to be agreed on Friday as any such decision would require unanimity among the 27 that is lacking.
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Earlier:
2022, October, 20, 14:20:00
GERMANY'S GAS WINTER HOPE
"If we continue to meet our savings target of at least 20% in Germany, if three LNG terminals start operating at the beginning of next year at the latest, and if the expected winter-related decline in imports and the rise in currently low exports remain moderate, then we can get through the winter without a national gas emergency," he said in a statement.
2022, October, 20, 14:15:00
EUROPEAN WINTER RISKS
While Europe lacks transparent data on who owns stored gas, the bulk is held by utilities, including state-owned companies, that will need to withdraw fuel to supply households and manufacturers, according to people familiar with the matter.
2022, October, 19, 12:00:00
EUROPE, RUSSIA SANCTIONS ANEW
The bloc’s eighth round of sanctions state that if a tanker owner transports Russian crude above an agreed price threshold, their ship would be prohibited from getting EU services needed to ship the commodity, such as insurance, “in the future.”
2022, October, 7, 10:20:00
GERMANY'S GAS REDUCTION
The head of Germany's Federal Network Agency, which would be in charge of gas rationing in the event of a supply emergency, repeated his warning a week ago that consumption was too high.
2022, October, 7, 10:15:00
RUSSIA'S OIL EXPORTS DOWN
Excluding Russia's share of Kazakhstan's CPC Blend exports, Russian crude exports averaged 2.99 million b/d in the month, down 290,000 b/d on the August levels and lowest since September 2021 when global oil demand was still recovering from pandemic lockdowns
2022, September, 9, 14:25:00
RUSSIAN GAS PRICES: NO LIMITS
Germany doesn’t support a price cap on Russia gas because some countries are still dependent on those supplies, Economy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters in Brussels.
2022, September, 6, 13:45:00
RUSSIAN NORD STREAM: ZERO
Russian flows of gas via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany, remained at zero on Tuesday after Russia scrapped a Saturday deadline to resume flows following maintenance.
