Europe Changing Views on Energy Dependency From Russia

Text of report by Latvian newspaper Dienas Bizness on 6 June

[Unsigned editorial: "Europeans Say Yes To Big Bear's Energy Resources"]

Regional, European or global meetings of representatives of countries at assemblies or forums often are nothing more than a symbolic discussion after which everyone’s picture is taken.

The Baltic Sea Region Business Forum which took place this week, however, was distinguished by an interesting twist – representatives of the EU changed their rhetoric about how dangerous or not dangerous is the EU’s reliance on Russian energy resources, and particularly natural gas.

Quite recently we were hearing endless claims that Russia is using gas as a resource for political and economic influence, that Europe is threatened by becoming dependent upon Russia specifically because of energy resources. This week, however, we heard quite the opposite – that there is no dependency at all. There were not even any openly negative statements about the famous Nord Stream project [which is meant to run a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany]. A representative of Gazprom spent just a few hours in Riga and claimed that his company is prepared to become involved in the project to build a new gas-fired electric power plant in Latvia.

Apparently the leaders of European countries have agreed no longer to ignore reality. Of course the EU needs Russian gas. That will be increasingly true, and our big neighbouring country really needs money. Its appetite will only increase. In this context we must remember what was said by a leader of the Russian opposition, Boris Nyemcov when he was in Riga – Russia has never shut off the gas supply to Latvia, which it is always denouncing, but it did shut off the supply to its partner Belarus. Why? Because Latvia pays for the gas, and a good sum, to boot. In other words, it would be stupid to choke off the goose which lays the golden eggs.

What is Latvia’s role in these games? Apparently, no matter how banal this statement, we are beginning to serve as the so-called bridge between East and West. It was no accident that the business forum attracted senior political and economic figures from Russia. France went so far as to ask to join the Council of Baltic Sea States. Even without looking at the political map, any more or less educated person knows very clearly that the Baltic Sea does not wash up against France’s shores. In other words, there is some kind of economic calculation here.

And perhaps the truth does not rest with those who have been smirking at the major economic players in Latvia who have been seeking to buy the natural gas storage facility at Dobele – the facility which has not even been built yet.

Originally published by Dienas Bizness, Riga, in Latvian 6 Jun 08, p 2.

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