Russia won’t contribute to EU gas crisis: Putin
October 17, 2014, 5:06 am

Putin at a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade on 16th September 2014 [PPIO]

“We do not wish any kind of crisis this winter. I am absolutely responsible when I claim that no crisis will occur due to Russia’s fault. We have enough gas to satisfy both our own needs and the needs of our clients in Europe and Asia,” Putin told a press conference after meeting Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and President Tomislav Nikolic.

Putin was a given a grand welcome by Serbia on Thursday with troops, tanks and fighter-jets to mark 70^th anniversary of the Russian Red Army liberating Belgrade.

Putin asserted that Russia would react to “any attempt by our Ukrainian partners to take gas from the pipes intended for export without authorization, just like in 2008.”

More than a quarter of the EU’s total gas needs were met by Russian gas, and some 80% of it came via Ukrainian pipelines. Six EU countries depend on Russia for 100 per cent of their gas imports.

Putin said that he hoped the problem would be resolved during the Asia-Europe summit where he will meet a number of European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Putin stressed that transit risks would be reduced by building the planned gas pipeline South Stream that would bring Russian gas to Europe across the Black Sea, avoiding Ukraine.

However, he said construction of this pipeline is linked with political issues.

“The South Stream cannot be realized one-sidedly. It is like love, it can be a happy one only if both sides wish to develop relations. We cannot build alone a pipeline worth several billion euros, if our partners are not sure they need it or not,” Putin said.

He said similar dilemmas existed during the construction of the North Stream across Baltic countries, but that clients in those countries are now satisfied with the project.

Meanwhile, Serbia on Thursday said it would not be part of the EU’s sanctions drive against Russia.

“Europe will certainly try harder to make Serbia impose sanctions against Russia. And perhaps such an attempt will be made in the nearest future, because Europe insists on the common foreign policy part of the agreement on our accession to the European Union,” Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic told Russian media.

TBP and Agencies