"The purpose of the attempt to introduce these additional $100 was that the Russians would refuse to pay, for the rest it would become expensive and, then, they would say - the transit is not paid for, the service cannot be provided. This was invented to stop the supply of Russian gas through the Turkish Stream and the Balkan Stream to Serbia, Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia. Another mining of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, as was the case with Nord Stream, would be too suspicious. It would not be possible to justify the fact that another gas pipeline was mined at the bottom of the sea, so this option was invented to stop gas supplies from Russia to Europe," Bajatovic said.
He added that the Bulgarian authorities themselves had already withdrawn their proposal, and it was currently being considered by the Bulgarian Constitutional Court.
Russian gas supplies to Serbia will increase to 2.4-2.6 billion cubic meters per year in accordance with an agreement until June 2025, Dusan Bajatovic said.
"We previously agreed with Gazprom to increase supplies from 2 billion cubic meters per year and received, in addition to six million cubic meters per day in winter, an additional two, then another three million cubic meters, for a total of 11 million cubic meters per day. Such terms are under the agreement until June 2025, while the price is calculated based on the oil formula, which makes this gas the cheapest in Europe, currently about $300 per 1,000 cubic meters. In reality, annually, the volume of supplies from Russia will reach 2.4-2.6 billion cubic meters," Bajatovic said.
Serbia would like to increase the volume of gas supplies from Russia and underground gas storage facilities and is counting on cooperation with Russian energy giant Gazprom in this regard, Dusan Bajatovic, Bajatovic said in an interview with Sputnik.
“We want to increase the volume of gas purchased from Russia; it is the only affordable gas now,” Bajatovic said.
There is no medium-term or long-term solution for supplying gas to Europe without Russia, Dusan Bajatovic, general director of the Srbijagas natural gas provider said.
“I can tell you that there is no medium-term and, I think, long-term solution for supplying gas to Europe without Russian gas. Azerbaijan needs gas purchase guarantees for 15 years in order to invest funds and move from 18 billion cubic meters of production annually to 36 billion. The Americans will also demand long-term contracts for the supply of their LNG [liquefied natural gas], they must build new ships, organize new shale gas production. All this takes time," Bajatovic said.
Russia's special military operation in Ukraine launched the process of de-dollarization and de-Americanization, Dusan Bajatovic said.
“Russia’s role is enormous: de-dollarization and de-Americanization, decolonization began when the imposed conflict in Ukraine started. It looked like a regional conflict, but in essence it is a struggle between Russia and the collective West, Russia and NATO, and if you really look at it - the East and the West, a clash of the majority of states and nations of the world with the colonial West," Bajatovic said.
Europe has lost the advantage of cheap Russian gas and is moving toward de-industrialization, Bajatovic said.
“The energy crisis has been brought under control, but prices will not return to the previous level. In Europe, there is stagflation, which means a decrease in GDP and inflation. Nothing will ever be the same as before. And in a political sense, Europe is an American vassal, companies from Europe are moving to the US or China,” Bajatovic said.
He said production lines in the United States will be supplied with US gas, and in China - with Russian gas.
“The de-industrialization of Europe is happening, this is a big problem. The advantage of Germany and some other economies was based on cheap Russian gas and other raw materials. This no longer exists. Not because Russia so desired, but in line with the EU's political decisions,” Bajatovic said.