Putin warns EU over pipeline monopoly
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the European Union today that it would have to give Russia the chance to buy into gas distribution networks in Europe if it wanted Moscow to give up its monopoly on gas export pipelines.
Putin’s comments came at the end of a one-day summit between Russia and the European Union in this Black Sea resort clouded by EU concerns about Russia’s reliability as a key energy supplier and Moscow’s persistent bid for European retail gas assets.
“If our European partners expect that we will let them into the inner sanctum of our economy, the energy sector, and let them in as they would like to be admitted, then we expect reciprocal steps in the most crucial and important areas for our development,” Putin told a news conference.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson later hinted that the EU would be ready to consider a quid pro quo, albeit within a clear legal framework.
