Putin: We won’t share Gazprom with Europe "All your gas belongs to us"

russiajournal.com ^ | October 09, 2003 Posted: 18:57 Moscow time (14:57 GMT) | RosBusinessConsulting

[Destro]

Putin: We won’t share Gazprom with Europe

October 09, 2003 Posted: 18:57 Moscow time (14:57 GMT)

YEKATERINBURG - Russia is going to retain state control over the gas pipeline system and the gas company Gazprom, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his closing remarks at Russian-German consultations in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. In this respect, he pointed out that the European Commission’s demands regarding access to the Russian gas pipeline network were unacceptable to Russia. The EU demands that Russia should allow Europe to use its gas pipeline system, and sees it as one of the conditions for Russia’s admission to the World Trade Organization.

The President stressed that the gas pipeline system of the Russian Federation was “the offspring of the Soviet Union”, and only Russia could “maintain it in working condition, even regarding its parts outside the country”, the Presidential Press Service reports. “We will not divide Gazprom,” Vladimir Putin said. He added that the European Commission should have no illusions on this account. “In the gas sphere, they will have to deal with the state,” the President stressed.

For his part, Russian Economy Minister German Gref issued a strongly-worded statement on Thursday. He said the Russian-WTO talks had stalled, and they might be suspended for one year.

“The talks are very difficult. They have reached a deadlock,” the Economy Minister pointed out. He said he had just returned from Brussels, where he had held talks with the European Commission regarding Russia’s entry into the WTO. “We nearly decided to suspend the talks for one year,” he stressed. Mr. Kasyanov asked his German partners to join the process of the Russia-WTO, because “without a political impetus, this problem cannot be solved”.

Mr. Gref outlined two problems at the Brussels talks. One of them is about energy tariffs. The European Commission demands that Russia should raise its domestic tariffs on oil and gas to European levels, making it a condition for Russia’s admission to the WTO. The Economy Minister noted that this issue should not be on the agenda of the talks with the WTO at all, “because this organization doesn’t deal with such issues”. The second problem was about the use of Russia’s gas and transportation system, he said.

RosBusinessConsulting

[Destro]

Putin: "All your gas belongs to us" and "You won't do me like you did Milosevic".

[Destro]

bump

[SAJ]

Putin isn't any free-market saint, but he's a VERY practical person (and, given the context of this little fight, I wouldn't wonder but what he's read ''Atlas Shrugged'', too).

[tjwmason]

Putin is standing up to the ghastly Eurocrats, and should be applauded. He is defending his nation's interests, which is what all leaders should do.

[RussianConservative]

The European Commission demands that Russia should raise its domestic tariffs on oil and gas to European levels, making it a condition for Russia’s admission to the WTO.

So vultures of EU want Russians as bankrupt as own peoples and want to steal more infrastructure....why Russia need in EU? EU companies still come to Russia hat in hand because cost production in socialist EU to high.

[jimt]

Putin: "All your gas belongs to us"

Sounds more to me like he's saying Russia's gas belongs to Russia, and the Euroweenies can put their high taxes where the sun don't shine.

How awful that he doesn't suck up to the high tax, pro-socialism group.

[FierceDraka]

EU companies still come to Russia hat in hand because cost production in socialist EU to high.

LOL Oh, the delicious irony!

[RussianConservative]

I even read article that say that future member Czech already loose one major German plastic bottle factory that already relocate to Nizhni Novograd....irony indeed. :0) And they want Russia in EU? To what, rape raw resources and world 8th largest economy? No thank you.