Gazprom details its new strategy in the EU

For the first time Russia has declared in details its policy in response to the new concept of Energy Union of the EU. Head of Gazprom Alexei Miller acknowledged at the specially prepared conference in Berlin that model of monopoly’s business in Europe was falling apart, blamed consumers and the EU authorities and shifted responsible for the consequences up to stop of the supplies to them. Moscow is ready to continue the dialogue, including by the rules of Brussels, but it will be tough. In such situation, scenario of the EU movement to alternative suppliers, including Iran, looks increasingly likely.

Speech of the Gazprom’s head Alexei Miller has become the central point of the conference on energy safety, organized by the Valdai club in Berlin. It is obvious that the conference was organized for it: besides Mr. Miller, role of a key speaker was played only by the Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak. The European side was represented only by the General Secretary of the Energy Charter Urban Rusnak, i.e. organizers didn’t plan any dialogue. The audience, at which the message was directed, was defined by theme and venue of the conference - in fact, we are talking about an official response of Russia to the recent initiative to create a European Energy Union and the concept of energy security of the EU.