EU may stop using Belarus as transit gas route, give up electricity import from Belarus - expert
<p> MINSK, May 28 - PrimePress. The European Union (EU), along with a possible refusal to receive Russian gas through Belarus, may refuse to discuss the supply of Belarusian electricity to the Baltic States, said Samuel Furfari, professor of energy geopolitics. </p> <p> </p> <p> Earlier, head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell told Agence France-Presse that the foreign ministers of the European Union would consider the export of potash and transit of Russian gas through Belarus during the discussion of economic sectoral sanctions against Belarus at an informal meeting in Portugal. </p> <p> </p> <p> “Obviously, the supplies will have to stop and will be transferred to the more important Ukrainian section... This does not present any problem. What may also be expected is the cessation of all discussions about the supply of cheap electricity to the Baltic states by Belarus from its new nuclear power plant in Ostrovets,” RIA Novosti reports citing Professor Furfari as saying. </p> <p> </p> <p> According to him, even if the reports about the EU intention to give up gas supplies via Belarus are confirmed, this will “not affect the European customers”, while the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will strengthen the flow of the Russian gas to Europe. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, Belarus used a fighter aircraft on May 23 to force down a Ryanair flight on its way from Athens to Vilnius under the guise of a bomb threat, which subsequently proved to be false, and arrested dissident journalist Roman Protasevich, who was listed as a terrorist by the Belarusian authorities and declared wanted by the state. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Under one of the articles, Protasevich is charged with masterminding mass riots. </p> <p> </p> <p> After that, leaders of the EU states initiated a reinforcement of economic sanctions against Belarus and now their decision needs technical approval at the ministerial level. End </p> <p> </p>
2021-05-29
Primepress
EU may stop using Belarus as transit gas route, give up electricity import from Belarus - expert
MINSK, May 28 - PrimePress. The European Union (EU), along with a possible refusal to receive Russian gas through Belarus, may refuse to discuss the supply of Belarusian electricity to the Baltic States, said Samuel Furfari, professor of energy geopolitics.
Earlier, head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell told Agence France-Presse that the foreign ministers of the European Union would consider the export of potash and transit of Russian gas through Belarus during the discussion of economic sectoral sanctions against Belarus at an informal meeting in Portugal.
“Obviously, the supplies will have to stop and will be transferred to the more important Ukrainian section... This does not present any problem. What may also be expected is the cessation of all discussions about the supply of cheap electricity to the Baltic states by Belarus from its new nuclear power plant in Ostrovets,” RIA Novosti reports citing Professor Furfari as saying.
According to him, even if the reports about the EU intention to give up gas supplies via Belarus are confirmed, this will “not affect the European customers”, while the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will strengthen the flow of the Russian gas to Europe.
As previously reported, Belarus used a fighter aircraft on May 23 to force down a Ryanair flight on its way from Athens to Vilnius under the guise of a bomb threat, which subsequently proved to be false, and arrested dissident journalist Roman Protasevich, who was listed as a terrorist by the Belarusian authorities and declared wanted by the state. He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Under one of the articles, Protasevich is charged with masterminding mass riots.
After that, leaders of the EU states initiated a reinforcement of economic sanctions against Belarus and now their decision needs technical approval at the ministerial level. End