RUS | ENG | All
Enter the email or login, that you used for registration.
If you do not remember your password, simply leave this field blank and you will receive a new, along with a link to activate.

Not registered yet?
Welcome!

2018-10-17 10:05:00

U.S. IN EUROPE

U.S. IN EUROPE

REUTERS - The United States must not determine European energy policy or decide whether Germany buys Russian gas, a top German diplomat said on Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andreas Michaelis said Russia would remain a key energy supplier for Europe, regardless of U.S. pressure on the issue.

"This is part of European core interests," Michaelis told a conference on transatlantic ties hosted by the Aspen Institute think tank. "I don't want European energy policy to be defined in Washington."

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Germany for supporting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which will transport Russian gas to Germany, accusing Germany of being a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance.

Some European countries also oppose the project, which is led by Russian gas giant Gazprom and financed by five Western companies, but Michaelis said it was a matter of national sovereignty.

"We need to consult the European partners. We need to have a sound model that works," he said. "But I'm certainly not willing to accept that Washington is deciding at the end of the day that we should not rely on Russian gas and that we should not complete this pipeline project," he said.

The German government said last week it continues to regard the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a useful project, given that it expects Germany's gas demand to increase over coming years.

Germany, however, is also pressing to ensure that Ukraine is able to maintain a role as a gas transit country once the Russian-backed undersea pipeline is complete.

Michaelis said Germany was boosting its contribution to NATO and European security, in line with demands from Washington, but a more balanced transatlantic relationship also required Berlin to speak out when there were areas of disagreement, such as over the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

He said some policymakers in Washington were realizing that Europe needed more "room to breathe" with regard to the nuclear deal, particularly on the financing front, adding that he was not aware that the U.S. government was moving toward imposing sanctions on the Belgium-based SWIFT global payment network.

He said European diplomats were focused on the need to facilitate business transactions permitted under U.S. sanctions against Iran, for instance involving humanitarian aid, an argument that was starting to resonate in Washington.

 -----

Earlier:

W.Europe
2018, October, 10, 08:15:00

NORD STREAM 2 WILL COMPLETE

REUTERS - The Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will transport Russian gas to Germany will be completed on time even if new sanctions are imposed on Moscow, Russia’s energy minister said.

 

 
 W.Europe
2018, October, 5, 12:20:00

RUSSIAN GAS FOR GERMANY

GAZPROM - During the meeting, the parties discussed current issues and cooperation prospects, focusing on, among other things, Russian gas exports to Germany.

 W.Europe
2018, October, 5, 12:15:00

GAZPROM - OMV STRATEGIC COOPERATION

GAZPROM - October 4 Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Rainer Seele, Chairman of the Executive Board of OMV, signed at the 8th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum a Memorandum on Strategic Cooperation.

 W.Europe
2018, October, 3, 08:45:00

NORD STREAM IS IMPORTANT

REUTERS - The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is important to secure German energy supplies and Russia is a safe and reliable provider, Thomas Bareiss, Germany’s state secretary for energy, said.

 

 

 W.Europe
2018, September, 28, 10:05:00

RUSSIA'S LNG FOR EUROPE

PLATTS - LNG produced from Russia's Yamal LNG project look set to stay in Europe in the short term on the back of high European natural gas hub pricing allied to firmer shipping rates due to tight Atlantic tonnage,

 

 

 W.Europe
2018, September, 14, 12:35:00

U.S. AGAINST NORD STREAM

PLATTS - In a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Moscow, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry reiterated US opposition to the expansion of the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia, claiming it would hurt European allies and distort energy markets.

 W.Europe
2018, September, 5, 10:45:00

RUSSIAN GAS TO EUROPE UP

PLATTS - Russian natural gas flows to western and central Europe recovered strongly in August -- after a dip in July because of pipeline maintenance -- as demand for Russian gas remained buoyant to meet demand from both the power and storage sectors,

 

 

Tags: USA, EUROPE, GAS, RUSSIA