A Snapshot of Key Developments in the External Relations of the Russian Gas Sector

Key points:

• Greece – Gazprom appears set to take part in the tender for the purchase of Greek state monopoly DEPA SA, with the aim of gaining direct access to local gas consumers
• Israel – Gazprom continues to negotiate some form of participation in the Israeli ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Tamar’ gas fields. A preliminary agreement for the purchase of 2‐3 million tons of LNG has already been reached as Gazprom strengthens its position in the Southern European gas markets.
• Ukraine – European investors are losing interest in the modernisation of Ukraine’s gas transportation system (GTS), suggesting a possible Gazprom‐Naftogaz deal as Gazprom seeks direct access to Ukrainian gas consumers.
• Ukraine – The winter dispute over the short supply of Russian gas to Western Europe via Ukraine continues as Gazprom and Naftogaz trade mutual accusations.
• Nord Stream – The European Commission has ruled that 33‐50 percent of the capacity of the two pipelines (NEL and OPAL) which connect Nord Stream to the rest of Germany’s gas infrastructure must be reserved for Third Party Access, potentially forcing Nord Stream to operate at less than full capacity.
• Lithuania – Gazprom is trying to challenge the conditions of the EU Third Energy Package in court, with Lithuania the test case. Yet the most Gazprom can hope to achieve is a delay in the unbundling of Lietuvos Dujos.
• Lithuania – In a bid to reduce its dependency on expensive Russian gas supplies Lithuania is seeking alternative suppliers and has proposed a gas swap deal with Gazprom. However, a more realistic diversification option seems to be the construction of a new gas import pipeline from Poland.
• Europe – Negative operating results and the continued disparity between spot market and long‐term contract prices are prompting European energy companies to seek price concessions from Gazprom.
• Russia – An increase in revenues from higher Russian domestic gas prices looks set to be offset by an increase in the Mineral Extraction Tax rate for Gazprom. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy are discussing a new draft law that would deprive Gazprom of 80 to 100 percent of the potential extra profits from higher domestic gas prices. READ MORE

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Azerbaijani ambassador to Tajikistan Abbasali Hasanov met this country`s first deputy foreign minister Mahmudjon Sobirov.

• April 14, 2012

Russia on Saturday said the UN Security Council had "practically agreed" a resolution on sending an observer mission to Syria and called on both the government and the opposition to strictly obey the Kofi Annan peace plan.

• April 14, 2012

Ukraine has offered to supply electricity to Lithuania, Ukrainian Premier Mykola Azarov has said, www.interfax.com.ua reports.

• April 14, 2012

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy and Antimonopoly Policy has today hosted a meeting of Deputy Minister Sanjar Mukanbetov with an Azerbaijani delegation led by Azerbaijani Deputy Economic Development Minister Niyazi Safarov.

• April 13, 2012

Two intergovernmental agreements have been signed during the state visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Indonesia.

• April 13, 2012

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, on Thursday called for more urgency in building alternative pipeline routes to carry Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.

• April 13, 2012

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has hosted meeting of expert group on sectioning the Caspian Sea bottom between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

• April 12, 2012