/ world today news/ The policy of the Kremlin is to surround and isolate the one who interferes
The statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ankara about the suspension of the South Stream project is the result of the traditionally clear, firm and always consistent policy of Russia in the international diplomatic field. I remember a very characteristic episode from many years ago, when Ivan Shilyashki was at the head of the Bulgarian energy sector. So Ivan Shilyashki was visiting Geneva at the time, where we commented extensively on the Bulgarian-Russian energy relations, and he said roughly the following: “I can’t endure these problems with Russia for natural gas any longer, that’s why I’m leaving with Deputy Prime Minister Yevgeny Bakardzhiev for Moscow to we will drive out the family of the Russians. We will make them pay 7-8 dollars per 100 km transit fees in response to their desire to increase the transit of natural gas through Bulgaria to Turkey”. After two days they left for Russia and what they did there they know, but the result was obvious. After these talks in Moscow, the Russians made a decision and in just about two years built the Blue Stream gas pipeline for the delivery of gas along the bottom of the Black Sea to Turkey.
With this short memory, I want to illustrate the principled policy of Russia, which has always been just that – to never depend on anyone for anything. And whoever opposes her – she surrounds him and isolates him. That’s it!
Therefore, I am convinced that this same trick is being repeated now with the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ankara. With him, in practice, Putin declares: “We have cruel lessons, and that’s why it’s best
let there be nothing before our pipes but the vastness of the sea.”
And why does Putin choose Turkey? More than logical! First of all, Turkey is a great market. It is the only country in Europe, if we can count it as a European country at all, whose economy reports growth of 5-6% every year. Secondly, Turkey is a loyal country that always strictly observes the concluded contracts. Thirdly, with the signed contracts, Turkey wants to demonstrate to Brussels its attitude towards the delayed procedure for its admission into the European Union.
Something else should be considered here. When the Russians start negotiating something, they always act in a complex way. In this case and in the negotiations between Russia and Turkey, it is not only about natural gas supplies and the construction of “Blue Stream 2”, but also about nuclear energy, etc. So the Russians will invest in the construction of the nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, as they wanted to do it in Belene, which in effect gives them a huge influence on the Turkish energy and economy – something that, however, Ankara is clearly not worried about as much as we demonstrate this. The move with Vladimir Putin’s statement is extraordinary. After Russia waited long enough for both us and the EC to make some kind of clear decision on South Stream and saw that there was none, it
made a sharp turn towards Turkey
to solve the problem in one fell swoop.
In fact, this decision to stop South Stream is not from yesterday. I have recently returned from the meeting of the Executive Assembly of the World Energy Council, which was held in Cartagena, Colombia. It so happened that we were at the same table with the presidents of the World Energy Council and the German company E.ON and the Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia. During the conversation, the latter commented that since the consumption of natural gas in Germany continues to decrease, it is no longer a problem for Russia to supply natural gas to Eastern Europe, including the Balkans and Bulgaria, via the Nord Stream gas pipeline. I asked him plainly, “What do you mean there won’t be a South Stream?” And he replied: “Yes, you know that the EU’s South Stream policy is not very consistent”. Then I asked him at what price they would deliver gas through Nord Stream to Eastern Europe and the Balkans, to which the Russian Deputy Minister replied: “Ah, that’s a completely different matter.”
So the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin is neither accidental nor based on some spontaneous decision. It is the result of long-term analytical work of Russian experts and of Russia’s long-term policy. All things that Bulgaria, unfortunately, could never boast of.
#Russia #long #plan #gas
