The price of Russian gas for Serbia is not lower than in some other countries that also have long-term agreements, and it concerns a certain amount, and the “over” that we need from the agreement is not at a preferential price, says the editor of N1’s foreign policy column Alexandra Godfroa.
The energy crisis has made everything more expensive, and that does not only apply to our country, Godfroa said. The rise in food prices on a global level is, among other things, a consequence of rising gas prices, she added.
“In the first pandemic year, the economy stopped almost everywhere. China was the first to wake up, which started to pull incredible quantities of gas, Europe started to empty the warehouses, because gas is cheap,” she says, adding that it may have been a mistake.
She states that Alexei Miller from Gazprom stated that Gazprom has incredible revenues for the previous year.
She adds that the problems with gas have been going on for several months and that it cannot pass without consequences. They are also postponing the green agenda, because many are returning to coal, she states and adds: “The fact is that a good part of the gas goes to China, and smaller quantities go to Europe.”
Speaking about the energy situation in Serbia and the “friendly price” of gas and special treatment, she says that we have some other things that make us have that treatment – and that is that the gas system is in the hands of Russian companies and we have an advantage because we immediately participated in all Russian projects – e.g. in South Stream, which has become the Balkan Stream, and we have a long-term agreement. That is an advantage, and it is also good for Gazprom, which can plan some of its business and production and innovations, she added.
“The price is not lower than in some other countries that have long-term contracts and it concerns a certain amount. We can raise that amount, we need to reserve it in advance. We need over that daily that we said to withdraw. And that “over” does not cost 270 dollars. If we take into account the statement of President Aleksandar Vučić about six million cubic meters of gas per day, and to pay 4.7 million euros, we come to a price of 800, 900 dollars per thousand cubic meters and it is no longer privileged price, it’s kind of a market price,” Godfroa says, adding that there are also differences in whether gas is bought day after day or differently.
Speaking about the anniversary of the murder of leader Oliver Ivanovic, she said that it should be marked until all those who were involved in that murder in any way, all those who know and do not say something, are discovered. I would like to see that our state is more engaged in resolving that murder, we are free of all changes to the Constitution and laws, if we are not able to solve such a murder, concluded Alexandra Godfroa.
Speaking about the news from the world that marked the year 2021, Godfroa reminded of the events in the United States, the claims of former President Donald Trump who did not accept defeat in the elections, which culminated in the incursion into Capitol Hill. We have seen similar scenes in some other places in the world, in our country, but no one could have guessed that they would see something like that happen in the United States, she stated. It was then that Joseph Biden stepped in for the first time as president, although his inauguration has not yet taken place, to calm the people, to say that the divisions are over in the United States, although we later saw that they were not over, she added.
Trump was an expert to divide on any issue at any time, Godfroa said, adding: “According to what we hear is currently happening in America – yes, those divisions still exist.”
Godfroa points out that Biden’s presidential behavior on a global level is very different from Trump’s ad hoc decision-making and quarrels. As a populist, Trump managed to create absolute chaos on the global scene, because the decisions he made were futile and very reckless, and those consequences are still felt today, says Godfroa, adding that Biden is trying to fix some things.
When Biden came to power, he marked not only Russia but also China as the main threat and formed a coalition with Australia and Great Britain, Godfroa recalls. “He is going to Asian countries trying to lobby them on his side. He recognized China as a force that is expanding and threatens to take over influence in some areas dominated by the United States. On the other hand, it has led to China and Russia they are turning more to each other, and in Europe that she recognizes that the United States may no longer be such a partner, and that happened during the time of Trump, who essentially ignored Europe,” said the N1 reporter.
She cites the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan as one of the debacles this year. Recalling that Trump agreed on that, and Biden only postponed it, she says that it was seen very quickly that what the Taliban said at the beginning was not true. Only two weeks later, she recalls, there was a beheading of female athletes, a ban on all foreign series and all music. “Russia is trying to keep the situation under control, and that is very important to them, not because of Afghanistan itself, but because terrorist groups and units can cross its borders and expand their influence in Russia itself, and Russia does not intend to allow,” she says, adding that Russia is in contact with the Taliban for the security of its own country, but estimates that it has no influence.
She also referred to the events in Europe, when it comes to Russia. “Ukraine has served to escalate the conflict, and the escalation of the conflict is intended to give Russia something, and these are maximalist demands – both written and legally binding guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will never be members of NATO, that there will be no deployment of weapons in countries it borders Russia,” Godfroa said. As she reminds, the aggravation started with the grouping of the Russian army on the part of the border of 400 km where Ukraine has no control. “The Minsk 2 agreement was violated more or less immediately, Moscow and Kiev are arguing over whether Kiev should regain control of that border or whether elections should be held first and the constitution changed, which will give a certain degree of autonomy to that part of Ukraine which believes that, if that happens, it will get a dysfunctional state, and that is the essence,” she added.
According to Godfroa, Russia is showing that it is ready for something, stating that the army that is on the borders is a kind of pressure.
Speaking about the departure of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she says that it is a 16-year career in difficult times, in times of “stabilocracy at the expense of democracy”. She reminds that eyes were closed on right-wing tendencies in EU countries, but also on the issue of media freedom outside the Union, adding that Merkel, when she came to Belgrade and praised the authorities in Serbia, seemed to have some things not happened. Merkel made Germany the first country in the EU, it was oriented towards the interests of German businessmen and the German economy. She also knew how to talk to Putin, North Stream 2 was completed during her time, N1 reports.
