Entering the EU from the Hellenic country, where already runs the TAP pipiline, Turkish Stream would make Athens a strategic player. Syriza leader is thinking about
My article for eunews.it
Greece out of the single energy strategies? Everything is possible. Nobody knows what may mean an eventual Grexit, so nothing can be ruled out. Not even an energy rapprochement of Athens to Moscow - however in place - with a change in geopolitical balance. In eastern Europe the race for gas has been started since at least a decade, and this race involves several actors: energy companies, consortia, governments, associations of states (the EU). Economic interests, political games and changes in balances have turned and are continually turning the cards on the table, and pushing Greece out of the EU may open new scenarios. Starting from the end, the 1st of December, 2014, Russia and Turkey launched the Turkish Stream pipeline project in response to the EU blocks against South Stream, the pipeline controlled by Gazprom which was supposed to provide gas in Europe via Bulgaria. Given the diplomatic crisis between the EU and Russia due to the Ukrainian issue, what would happen if Moscow decided - as is doing - to realize Turkish Stream and hijack all gas currently flowing in Ukraine?
Prime minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras is seeking answers. On April Panagiotis Lafazanis, Energy Minister and man of Summit Syriza, was in Moscow to discuss energy questions and Turkish Stream. Tsipras himself met with Vladimir Putin, and actually is working in an international consortium in order to participate to the project. Greece, Serbia, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia and Hungary are negotiating Russia, also because of a missing European energy union. The president of the Russian federation, Vladimir Putin is offering Athens the chance to be the key player for gas supplies in Europe. «The new route respond to European needs, making Greece one of the main distribution centres in the continent», said Putin during his last bilateral meeting with Tsipras. Turkish Stream will enter the territory of the EU through Greece, making the country the strategic hub for the European Union considering that on Greek soil will also run the TAP pipeline, which is expected to supply Europe via Albania and Italy. Putin's intentions are not to bad Tsipras. On the contrary the Greek premier is seriously considering what Russia is offering. «Our pipeline will receive gas from the Turkish border, ensuring energy security for Greece and the European market», stated Tsipras. So, what would happen in case Greece left the European market?
Putin is putting in the hands of Greece a tool for "blackmailing" the entire EU at political level. The Kremlin would be ready to provide «hundreds of millions of Euro per year» for the right of Russian gas transit on the Greek soil. In this way, Greece would be a potential ally, having more than one valid reason to don't vote against Russia in the European Council, especially when the EU member States have to decide on sanctions. Moreover, entering Greece the Turkish Stream pipeline will be interconnected to the Southern Gas Corridor, originally thought to transport Caspian Azeri gas to Europe in alternative to Russian supplies. Linking Turkish Stream to the Southern Gas Corridor, the Russian federation has also the way to ensure that the Caucasian countries can't get economic power and rise as political powers in the region, which has to remain under the Russian influence.
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Greece out of the single energy strategies? Everything is possible. Nobody knows what may mean an eventual Grexit, so nothing can be ruled out. Not even an energy rapprochement of Athens to Moscow - however in place - with a change in geopolitical balance. In eastern Europe the race for gas has been started since at least a decade, and this race involves several actors: energy companies, consortia, governments, associations of states (the EU). Economic interests, political games and changes in balances have turned and are continually turning the cards on the table, and pushing Greece out of the EU may open new scenarios. Starting from the end, the 1st of December, 2014, Russia and Turkey launched the Turkish Stream pipeline project in response to the EU blocks against South Stream, the pipeline controlled by Gazprom which was supposed to provide gas in Europe via Bulgaria. Given the diplomatic crisis between the EU and Russia due to the Ukrainian issue, what would happen if Moscow decided - as is doing - to realize Turkish Stream and hijack all gas currently flowing in Ukraine?
Prime minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras is seeking answers. On April Panagiotis Lafazanis, Energy Minister and man of Summit Syriza, was in Moscow to discuss energy questions and Turkish Stream. Tsipras himself met with Vladimir Putin, and actually is working in an international consortium in order to participate to the project. Greece, Serbia, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia and Hungary are negotiating Russia, also because of a missing European energy union. The president of the Russian federation, Vladimir Putin is offering Athens the chance to be the key player for gas supplies in Europe. «The new route respond to European needs, making Greece one of the main distribution centres in the continent», said Putin during his last bilateral meeting with Tsipras. Turkish Stream will enter the territory of the EU through Greece, making the country the strategic hub for the European Union considering that on Greek soil will also run the TAP pipeline, which is expected to supply Europe via Albania and Italy. Putin's intentions are not to bad Tsipras. On the contrary the Greek premier is seriously considering what Russia is offering. «Our pipeline will receive gas from the Turkish border, ensuring energy security for Greece and the European market», stated Tsipras. So, what would happen in case Greece left the European market?
Putin is putting in the hands of Greece a tool for "blackmailing" the entire EU at political level. The Kremlin would be ready to provide «hundreds of millions of Euro per year» for the right of Russian gas transit on the Greek soil. In this way, Greece would be a potential ally, having more than one valid reason to don't vote against Russia in the European Council, especially when the EU member States have to decide on sanctions. Moreover, entering Greece the Turkish Stream pipeline will be interconnected to the Southern Gas Corridor, originally thought to transport Caspian Azeri gas to Europe in alternative to Russian supplies. Linking Turkish Stream to the Southern Gas Corridor, the Russian federation has also the way to ensure that the Caucasian countries can't get economic power and rise as political powers in the region, which has to remain under the Russian influence.
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