MOSCOW, March 22 (Itar-Tass) – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev urges the European Union to take into account Russia’s arguments on the so-called third energy package.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Medvedev said, “Our arguments should be taken into account.”
“In this case we’ll able to build effective cooperation for decades.”
The third energy package was worked out by the European Commission in order “to expand competition on the European energy market”.
“We are not against the entire Third Energy Package, we realise that it is the EU sovereign right to regulate gas supplies in its territory. But we are against certain provisions of the energy package, which, in our opinion, infringe our interests and which contradict some basic documents, including the basic agreement between Russia and the EU and certain bilateral agreements,” Medvedev said earlier.
Over the work on the third energy package Europe should have discussed certain issues with Russia as a major supplier of gas and oil. “We are supplying up to 30 percent of gas and oil /of the European consumption/, but we are not an exclusive partner, as Europe has an opportunity to buy the remaining 70 percent from others,” he said.
“We simply want to be heard. We are not against the option, where in certain cases by means of using the energy packet countries are getting cheaper gas – you are welcome! We are interested in the price for our gas based on the existing rules. If there are any schemes to minimise the expenses, please do. We are also following trends in the energy market,” the prime minister said.
“Russia cannot be demanding from the EU to refuse the Third Energy Package, but still recommends insistently to consider its arguments,” Medvedev continued. “If we adjust certain provisions, including supplies via the EU territory, or participation of our companies and establishment of holdings, not to damage consumers, this would be fairer and could remove our fears about long-term partnership.”
“We are interested in long-term cooperation with the EU, in the cooperation, which is for decades. We may disregard hydrocarbons from the ecology point of view and from the point of view they are not the most modern kind of energy, but what else do we have? Nuclear energy is used not in all countries, though we are for it. The hydrogen fuel – I wish we lived to the time to see the first plants using it. As yet, for the next 30-50 years, we do not have an alternative of hydrocarbons. So let us be mutually respectful!”
Medvedev called that kind of fuel a “complicated and disputable topic as yet.” Anyway, its production cost is rather high and cannot be compared with production of gas from deposits. Though I am sure technologies will improve. The most important is not to spoil the nature by those technologies, as the existing risks are very high,” Medvedev said.