| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Used to Bargain
Russia’s Industry and Energy Ministry thinks it possible to resume crude oil supplies to Lithuania via Druzhba-1 pipeline. The pipeline is in emergency condition, says Rostekhnadzor, which is the federal environmental, technological and nuclear oversight service of the country. The analysts’ conclusion is Druzhba-1 will be probably used to pressurize Poland at the May summit of Russia and Europe.
European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and members of the European Parliament made a joint statement in Strasbourg yesterday urging Russia to stop using energy supplies for political purposes and resume deliveries to Mazeikiu Nafta refinery of Lithuania.
According to Mr Piebalgs, he has received a letter from Russia’s Energy and Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko, where the minister hoped for expedient recommencement of deliveries to Lithuania via Druzhba.
Druzba's supplies to Lithuania were cut off in July of 2006 in the wake of pipeline’s breakdown. But the timing of that breakdown is interesting. Druzhba’s failure coincided with aggravation of Russia’s-Lithuanian relations. Eyed by LUKOIL, TNK-BP and Rosneft, Mazeikiu Nafta was ultimately sold to Poland’s PKN ORLEN.
Lithuania responded by threats to repair the railway branch of Russia and Kaliningrad. Russia launched a ferry line to be on the safe side, but vowed to provide Druzhba’s maintenance schedule by March 15.
No schedule is available yet. The deliveries could resume only following complete replacement of pipes at Unecha-Polotsk branch (that leads to Lithuania, of course), Rostekhnadzor said a few days ago.
In Industry and Energy Ministry, they said the problem of pipeline’s rebuilding is “artificial politicization of purely technical incident.” The supplies of Russia’s crude to Lithuania haven’t been halted actually, sources with the ministry explained. In 2006, two million tons went to Mazeikiu Nafta via Primorsk and the deliveries are underway now, the ministry’s representatives said.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 26, 2007
|
|
|
