ATHENS– The scrapping of the Russian-planned South Stream gas pipeline can be on the positive side a stimulus for more active work on the Energy Union, Ambassador of Latvia to Greece Ivars Pundurs told New Europe in Athens on January 9.
Latvia assumed the presidency of the Council of Ministers on January 1. “With the recent events, which include also cancellation of South Stream, I think member states realised more that there is a real need for a unified policy, approach and solution to some of the issues,” Pundurs said.
The Latvian ambassador said the situation is such that the EU has better prospects than maybe before to achieve a unified approach between member states and prepare the ground for a common European energy policy. “We have discussions planned and we hope that we will achieve progress,” Pundurs said.
Diversification of Europe’s energy resources has been there before the current difficulties between the Brussels and Moscow and is not really dependent on what happens on EU-Russia ties, Pundurs said, adding that EU-Russia relations depend on the situation in Ukraine. He said Riga is ready to proceed with a dialogue with Russia provided that there are conditions for it. “But diversification will continue,” he said.
The Latvian ambassador also said Riga is discussing Eastern Partnership with Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan. “We want to make our approaches to these countries more individual because each of them has different needs and different expectations. But also the recent events have clearly demonstrated that the European Union needs to be active in this geographical area especially with the countries that want this cooperation and are eager to cooperate on their side,” Pundurs said, adding that boosting relations with these countries will also increase energy security.
“Regarding Central Asia, we have come up with a non-paper together with Germany on the Central Asian issue and I think we can do better in Central Asia as a Union and have a bigger profile and get a bigger bang for our buck there,” the Latvian ambassador said.
He brushed off the risk of retaliation by Moscow in the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit on May 21. “I hope that our neighbours in Russia understand that it is nothing that is directed against them and that they are also to benefit from the stability and prosperity in their neighbourhood and we will do our best to explain this to them,” he said, adding that the foreign minister of Latvia plans to visit Moscow this month.
Though seen as hawkish on relations with Russia, Latvia’s EU presidency will have to reach common ground between member states that favour stronger sanctions and those that want to return as soon as possible to business as usual with Moscow.
Pundurs said he hopes that EU-Russia relations will improve but added that relations will depend on what Russia will do in Ukraine. “The general relations are at a rather difficult point right now between the Union and Russia,” Pundurs said. He noted that while there are a number of problems between the Baltics and Russia, “we will be acting as the EU Presidency – not as Latvia advancing some kind of national issues or agenda with the Russians”.
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Precipitous Oil Price Drop Corrals Putin