New anti-Russia sanctions package designed to restrict gas supplies to EU — PM

Business & Economy

November 30, 13:53UTC+3 source : Tass

The premier hopes gas projects with Russia’s participation will be implemented

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MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. The new package of sanctions against Moscow is aimed at restricting supplies of Russian gas to Europe, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in his annual live interview with Russian TV channels on Thursday.

"The latest package is obviously aimed at reducing our gas opportunities in Europe," he said.

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According to Medvedev, Washington’s position regarding the issue is "absolutely cynical." "We want to supply liquefied gas to Europe, the Russians hinder us with their so-called pipeline gas, which is why we want to squeeze them out," he said.

Meanwhile, PM added, Russia was under sanctions almost the whole twentieth century. "We lived under sanctions all the time, whereas now our partners are trying to make those sanctions long-lasting, so that the US President could not lift them," he said.

"Let us hope that reason will prevail in Europe and natural gas projects will be implemented, because they are commercial, because they are mutually beneficial for Europe and for Russia," Medvedev said. 

Efforts to regulate the competitive market through a sanction mechanism "are even making Europeans' hair stand on end, but not everyone’s truthfully," the prime minister noted. "I regret saying our colleagues in Brussels are also muddying the waters, making decisions aimed at extending the so-called Third Gas Directive and the Third Energy Package to our supplies," Medvedev added.

Medvedev considers the oil price plunge and anti-Russia sanctions happening simultaneously to be the harshest and most unusual challenge for the government.

"The harshest challenge is those two challenges happening simultaneously. Never in the history of our country have occurred a dramatic drop in oil prices and imposition of sanctions simultaneously, which makes this challenge unique," he said.

(Que va faire l'UE, acheter du gaz et du pétrole de schiste américain, plus du pétrole de sable bitumineux canadien livré avec l'accord Ceta, évidemment plus cher et qui va encrasser les moteurs +++ ? note de rené)

More:
http://tass.com/economy/978302

More:
http://tass.com/economy/978302