BERLIN, March 20. /ITAR-TASS/. No gas war between the EU and Russia looms amid the events in Ukraine as both sides are strongly interested in energy cooperation, the chief executive of one of the major European energy companies Gaz de France - Suez (GDF Suez) Gerard Mestrallet said in an interview to Thursday’s Handelsblatt daily.
“There is no reason for concerns. Even if the gas pipeline was blocked now, consequences would be minimal,” he said. “European winters are rather warm, gas storages are almost full, and the spring is coming.”
He believes Russia will not turn off gas taps.
“We should understand that Russia is simply interested in selling its gas and would be the first to fall victim to a suspension of supplies, should it happen. I do not think that any of the sides, either Europe or Russia - is interested in breaking [energy] relations,” said Mestrallet.
He believes that in theory, Russia would never initiate an end to gas supplies, while hardly anybody in the EU can dare reduce energy imports from Russia. “Some European countries are entirely dependent on Russian supplies,” Mestrallet said.