The West has only not imposed sanctions for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine because the European Union needs blue fuel when others do not have enough
The transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine continues uninterrupted, despite the unrest between Russia and Ukraine. Even if Serbia stops delivering in this direction via Ukraine (which has been receiving gas for decades), which is not expected for now, it does not receive blue fuel, but the entire transport system has been transferred to the “Turkish (Balkan) Stream”.
Asked how he commented that the measures imposed on Russia did not include a ban on further supply of Europe with Russian gas, and whether that means that when Europe needs gas, then Russia is welcome, but when it is not, we should all stop being dependent on imports from Of Russia, prof. Srecko Djukic, an economist and former ambassador to Belarus, said gas was not on the European Union’s sanctions list against Russia.
– The Union needs gas from Russia, and Russia needs a market, so the interests of mutual supply are not interrupted. Neither side has an alternative. “Gazprom” continued to deliver gas through Ukrainian gas pipelines, respecting the valid contract, and will continue deliveries up to the amount of 40 billion cubic meters a year – Djukic says for “Politika”.
When it comes to Serbia, it seems that all quantities of gas are coming through the “Turkish Stream”. However, the flow of gas through Hungary should not be closed, as gas can be bought on the European market through this country. Asked whether and how realistic it is to count on gas from Israel, since the Minister of Energy Zorana Mihajlovic talked to the ambassador of this country last week, emphasizing that we are interested in cooperation in the gas sector, Djukic said that Israel is not a real possibility, a future variant of the Eastern Mediterranean project.
– For now, that idea is very far from being realized and will be realized if and when the gas flows through a gas pipeline to Europe, and Serbia reports its needs when designing that gas pipeline. Today, there is no gas connection with Israel, nor has this country affirmed itself as a producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) – explains Djukic.
Dr. Vojislav Vuletic, president of the Gas Association of Serbia, agrees with him, emphasizing that he is the first to support the diversification of directions and sources of supply, but that in the next 10 to 15 years there is no chance that the situation will change at least when it comes to our country.
– It would be wonderful if Israel had gas for us and delivered it to Serbia in no time, but where, in which direction. There is no gas, just as there will be no Azerbaijani gas, which, we say, will flow through the Nis-Dimitrovgrad gas pipeline. But well, the EU gives part of the money for that gas pipeline, so let them build and their pipes be empty. It is important that we meet their requirements to be on our territory. But in vain, because they do not have raw materials – Vuletic is categorical.
– The transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian territory is currently maintained at maximum values ​​according to the contractual obligations of “Gazprom”, while direct deliveries (within the agreed limits) are periodically continued through the “Yamal-Europe” gas pipeline. The only suspension was due to German re-exports of gas to Poland.
Russia, regardless of the current situation, wants to maintain the image of a reliable partner (they were a reliable supplier even during the Cold War, ie neither the former Soviet Union nor later Russia interrupted Europe’s energy supply. Gas is a big geopolitical weapon but above all business. importance for both sides – says Milos Zdravkovic, an expert in energy efficiency.
– As far as Serbia is concerned, we are on the route of the transit gas pipeline “Turkish Stream”, and our supply in no way depends on the supply routes from Central and Northern Europe. Also, the Serbian energy hydrocarbon sector is owned by Russian companies, so the possibility of interruption of supply is not realistic – he added.
This month, Russian “Gazprom” should finally put into operation a thermal power plant – a heating plant in Pancevo with an installed capacity of 200 megawatts (the amount of investment is 180 million euros).
When it comes to diversifying the sources and directions of supply and introducing Israel to the gas story, Zdravkovic says that this country has found significant gas reserves in its territorial waters (the gas field shares with Lebanon and Cyprus), but Israel decided to use the energy source for geopolitical reasons. offered primarily to Jordan and Egypt.
– For Israel, Egypt, as the most populous and strongest Arab state, is the most desirable partner. All additional quantities of gas that Israel can provide, ie develop fields primarily with Egypt, would be exported to Europe via the potential East-Med gas pipeline, which would run along the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea to Crete, then to the Peloponnese and then directly to southern Italy – our interlocutor explains.
The only possibility for supplying Serbia is for Israel to build terminals for liquefied natural gas, and for the Greeks to build a terminal in Alexandroupolis, and then connect with Bulgaria, which could then be connected to our interconnection Nis-Dimitrovgrad (which we have just started building) . However, that seems like an unlikely scenario, concludes Zdravković, Politika reports.
