Energy to dominate Merkel’s Moscow visit

European doubts about Russia’s reliability as a supplier of energy are to loom large over a visit to Moscow by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in ten days’ time. Merkel is to go to Moscow on 21 January to kick-start talks on a new strategic agreement between the EU and Russia, which are currently stalled because of a separate dispute between Poland and Russia over meat exports.

But the dispute between Belarus and Russia over energy prices has brought energy back to the top of the agenda.

The dispute caused the temporary closure of the Druzhba pipeline that supplies Germany with 20% of its oil imports. The pipeline, which has been closed since 8 January, also supplies the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.

Although a deal to restart oil exports between Belarus and Russia is expected before the end of this week, EU diplomats are already picking through the political debris of the episode.

After meeting Russian Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov on Wednesday (10 January), Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs stressed the need for communication between Russia and the EU. "We expressed our clear desire to be well informed," he said.

Echoing similar complaints from Merkel, diplomats described Russia’s failure to inform the EU about the pipeline’s closure as "unacceptable".

"This affected quite a few member states and they are quite irritated," said one EU diplomat .

A number of diplomats indicated that pressure on Russia to sign up to binding international energy rules would now increase.

"Even if [Russia] has an issue with Belarus it has other contractual obligations," said one member state diplomat.

The EU has so far failed to convince Russia to sign up to all aspects of the Energy Charter Treaty - a binding international treaty that governs energy transit and supply.

Supporters say Russia’s acceptance of all parts of the treaty would make energy supplies less vulnerable to political disputes like those between Russia and Belarus, or those experienced last year when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine.

Russia will also come under pressure to accept some of the principles of the Energy Charter Treaty in its bilateral agreement with the EU.

But efforts to limit the damage done by the crisis will begin today (11 January) when Belarusian and Russian representatives brief the EU on the recent dispute.

Representatives from both governments will explain their version of events and the prospect of restarting oil deliveries via Belarus.

The meeting of the EU’s Oil Supply Group was called in expectation that an extended interruption of supplies would cause energy shortages in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

So far no shortages have been reported, but the crisis has forced refining plants to seek alternative suppliers and to tap into national strategic reserves.

European doubts about Russia’s reliability as a supplier of energy are to loom large over a visit to Moscow by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in ten days’ time. Merkel is to go to Moscow on 21 January to kick-start talks on a new strategic agreement between the EU and Russia, which are currently stalled because of a separate dispute between Poland and Russia over meat exports.

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