Page 6 - FSUOGM Week 22 2022

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

Serbia clinches new gas deal

with Russia

SERBIA SERBIAN President Aleksandar Vucic of Ukraine began in late February.
announced on May 29 that Serbia had secured Vucic claimed that Serbia would receive the
Serbia's deal is an “extremely favourable” three-year gas deal “most favourable price in Europe” for gas. Var-
extremely favourable, with Russia, even as the country’s EU neighbours ious unconfirmed press reports claim Serbia
its president said. push to end Russian gas imports in the next cou- will pay between $340 and $400 per 1,000 cubic
ple of years. metres of the supply. The two countries have
“What I can tell you is that we have agreed on agreed on 2.8bn cubic metres of gas per year,
the main elements that are very favourable for the president said, noting that Serbia would
Serbia,” Vucic told a press conference, noting that need another 800mn cubic metres of supply to
the deal had been clinched during a telephone develop industry.
conversation with his Russian counterpart “The mutual intention to consistently
Vladimir Putin. “We agreed to sign a three-year strengthen the strategic partnership between
contract, which is the first element of the con- Russia and Serbia on the basis of traditionally
tract that suits the Serbian side very well.” close ties between the peoples of the two coun-
Serbia has resisted calls to join the EU in its tries was confirmed,” Vucic said.
sanctions against Russia, in keeping with its close Besides reaffirming Serbia’s path to join the
historic ties to Moscow. The country relies on EU, Vucic also said earlier this week that the
Russian oil, gas and petroleum products to cover country would receive a loan from the US for
nearly all of its demand, and Russian state com- various energy projects. He said this “large loan”
panies play a dominant role in its energy sector. would be used “first for solar projects and later
At the same time, Serbia is still committed to hydro projects.”
joining the EU, Vucic said. The president has also The supply deal with Russia will replace a
refused to openly condemn Moscow’s actions in previous 10-year contract that expired at the
Ukraine. end of May. Earlier Moscow indicated that Ser-
The gas deal is likely to be signed during a bia would not need to pay for Russian gas in
visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rubles, as per a Kremlin decree published at the
in early June, which will mark a rare visit by a end of March, as it is considered a “friendly”
senior Russian official since Moscow’s invasion state. ™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 22 02•June•2022