BRUSSELS, May 22 (RIA Novosti) – The European Commission hopes the long-term gas deal between Russia and China will not affect the gas relations of Russia and the European Union, spokesperson Sabine Berger told reporters Thursday.
“We cannot comment on deals between third countries. But I would like to remind you that Europe has always been a very reliable and attractive market for Russia gas over many years. And therefore we expect our suppliers to remain equally reliable and responsible and honor the contracts which they have concluded,” she told journalists.
Amid the current political standoff between Moscow and Brussels over the Ukrainian crisis and EU plans to decrease its dependence on Russian gas supplies, Russian gas giant Gazprom and China’s CNPC struck a long-awaited deal on Wednesday worth $400 billion to supply 38 billion cubic meters of gas to China annually.
In March 2013, Gazprom and CNPC signed a memorandum of understanding on Russian gas supplies to China along the so-called eastern route via the Power of Siberia pipeline. The conclusion of the deal has been delayed several times in the past over pricing disagreements.
Members of the European Parliament have urged limiting cooperation with Russian energy companies, including halting construction of the South Stream project, which is planned to deliver Russian natural gas to Europe via a route bypassing Ukraine. The resolution came as a voluntary recommendation.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt earlier said whether or not EU foreign ministers consider new sanctions against Russia will depend on the situation in Ukraine, and in particular the upcoming May 25 presidential election.
The EU has said it has a three-stage sanctions process. The third stage, not yet reached, would be broad economic sanctions against entire sectors of the Russian economy.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that the language of sanctions is “inappropriate and counterproductive” and warned its Western partners about the “boomerang effect” that sanctions would have.
