Govt.-Gazprom talks under way

Talks between the government and Gazprom on the energy agreement with Russia began today and will run for several days, says the Energy and Mining Ministry. Gazprom adviser Dmitry Malishev, who will head the Russian negotiating team, has arrived in Belgrade, and the talks are progressing in a good atmospheres, Tanjug understands from the ministry. Govt.-Gazprom talks under way Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic said yesterday that there had been no reply as yet to the official letter sent by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic to Gazprom proposing an all-encompassing contract covering the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS), the Banatski Dvor reservoir and the pipeline. He stressed that there had been no talks with the Russian side concerning the energy agreement in the last fortnight since the draft contract was sent. The draft contract sent to the Russians proposes integrating the three aforementioned parts of the energy agreement. According to the media, Serbia also wants financial penalties introduced should Gazprom fail to complete construction of the South Stream pipeline on time, while the company would be obliged to return its stake in the company should it subsequently pull out of the deal. “Serbia won’t renege on Russian energy deal” Nebojsa Ciric, who is heading the Serbian team in negotiations with Russia, says that no one within the government wants to back out of the energy deal. Ciric, the Economy Ministry’s state secretary, told daily Vecernje Novosti that it is the legitimate right of both sides in the negotiations to reach a better position, allowing everything stipulated in the contract to be implemented through an actual contract. “We’ve agreed with the Russian side that there will be no public statement until the negotiations are over. I should point out that on October 31 in Moscow, a proposal was sent for an all-encompassing agreement with three annexes, referring to the sale of a 51 percent stake in the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) and the construction of an underground storage facility and a gas pipeline. It is important to state that all three parts of the agreement must be viewed as a joint arrangement,” he stressed. He said that there had still been no answer to the proposal, but that one should bear in mind that “a certain amount of time is needed for the Russian side to analyze everything that we proposed.” “The negotiating team is fully ready to begin talks as soon as possible,” Ciric said. He said that there was still no official confirmation of the arrival in Belgrade of Gazprom adviser Dmitry Malishev, who will be leading the Russian negotiating team in further talks on the purchase of NIS.

Govt.-Gazprom talks under way

Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić said yesterday that there had been no reply as yet to the official letter sent by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković to Gazprom proposing an all-encompassing contract covering the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS), the Banatski Dvor reservoir and the pipeline.

He stressed that there had been no talks with the Russian side concerning the energy agreement in the last fortnight since the draft contract was sent.

The draft contract sent to the Russians proposes integrating the three aforementioned parts of the energy agreement.

According to the media, Serbia also wants financial penalties introduced should Gazprom fail to complete construction of the South Stream pipeline on time, while the company would be obliged to return its stake in the company should it subsequently pull out of the deal.

“Serbia won’t renege on Russian energy deal”

Nebojša Ćirić, who is heading the Serbian team in negotiations with Russia, says that no one within the government wants to back out of the energy deal.

Ćirić, the Economy Ministry’s state secretary, told daily Večernje Novosti that it is the legitimate right of both sides in the negotiations to reach a better position, allowing everything stipulated in the contract to be implemented through an actual contract.

“We’ve agreed with the Russian side that there will be no public statement until the negotiations are over. I should point out that on October 31 in Moscow, a proposal was sent for an all-encompassing agreement with three annexes, referring to the sale of a 51 percent stake in the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) and the construction of an underground storage facility and a gas pipeline. It is important to state that all three parts of the agreement must be viewed as a joint arrangement,” he stressed.

He said that there had still been no answer to the proposal, but that one should bear in mind that “a certain amount of time is needed for the Russian side to analyze everything that we proposed.”

“The negotiating team is fully ready to begin talks as soon as possible,” Ćirić said.

He said that there was still no official confirmation of the arrival in Belgrade of Gazprom adviser Dmitry Malishev, who will be leading the Russian negotiating team in further talks on the purchase of NIS.