Gas summit hopeful of deal despite Putin boycott

A two-day summit aimed at securing gas supplies to Europe is taking place in Sofia, with Serbian President Boris Tadic in attendance. The summit has been organized at the initiative of Bulgarian President Georgi Prvanov, who opened the event. Gas summit hopeful of deal despite Putin boycott The goal of the summit is to establish dialogue between key gas producers and consumers and transit countries with a view to guaranteeing secure supply. The summit’s website states the representatives from 28 states and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will be attending. The meeting is expected to be attended by delegations from South-East Europe, the Caspian and Black Sea regions, EU member-states involved in the South Stream pipeline project, the U.S., Russia, Egypt and Qatar. Alongside Tadic in the Serbian delegation are Energy Minister Petar Skundric and Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic, the Energy Ministry confirmed. The summit is expected to cover projects vital to supplying gas to South-East Europe, including South Stream. According to earlier reports, Gazprom is expected to sign separate agreements on the construction of the pipeline with national gas companies, though this has yet to be confirmed, nor is the actual content of the documents known. Skundric said earlier that the Serbian feasibility study into to the South Stream would be complete by September, while the study for the overall project is due to be submitted by the end of June 2010. Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s last minute decision to boycott the talks has dampened chances of some ties being strengthened. Vladimir Putin is said to be upset by Bulgaria’s plan for the construction of the South Stream pipeline. And in order to diversify its energy sources, Sofia is also behind the EU’s flagship Nabucco project to bring Caspian gas to Europe while bypassing Russia. But while Brussels and Moscow have been competiting to sign up enough gas suppliers to back their respective projects, the two pipelines have been severely hit by financial difficulties.

Gas summit hopeful of deal despite Putin boycott

The goal of the summit is to establish dialogue between key gas producers and consumers and transit countries with a view to guaranteeing secure supply.

The summit’s website states the representatives from 28 states and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will be attending.

The meeting is expected to be attended by delegations from South-East Europe, the Caspian and Black Sea regions, EU member-states involved in the South Stream pipeline project, the U.S., Russia, Egypt and Qatar.

Alongside Tadić in the Serbian delegation are Energy Minister Petar Škundrić and Srbijagas CEO Dušan Bajatović, the Energy Ministry confirmed.

The summit is expected to cover projects vital to supplying gas to South-East Europe, including South Stream.

According to earlier reports, Gazprom is expected to sign separate agreements on the construction of the pipeline with national gas companies, though this has yet to be confirmed, nor is the actual content of the documents known.

Škundrić said earlier that the Serbian feasibility study into to the South Stream would be complete by September, while the study for the overall project is due to be submitted by the end of June 2010.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s last minute decision to boycott the talks has dampened chances of some ties being strengthened.

Vladimir Putin is said to be upset by Bulgaria’s plan for the construction of the South Stream pipeline.

And in order to diversify its energy sources, Sofia is also behind the EU’s flagship Nabucco project to bring Caspian gas to Europe while bypassing Russia.

But while Brussels and Moscow have been competiting to sign up enough gas suppliers to back their respective projects, the two pipelines have been severely hit by financial difficulties.