GAZPROM CHAIR TO MOLYVIATIS: RUSSIAN GAS? CASPIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000393 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016 TAGS: ENRG GR RS AJ GAZPROM NATGAS SUBJECT: GAZPROM CHAIR TO MOLYVIATIS: RUSSIAN GAS? CASPIAN GAS? IT'S ALL THE SAME! REF: ATHENS 342 Classified By: Ambassador Charles P. Ries for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Foreign Minister Molyviatis confirmed to Ambassador February 8 that Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller,s visit to Greece February 2 (reftel) was aimed at getting Greek agreement to transport Russian (Gazprom) gas to Italy in the new interconnector Greece is building (reftel). According to Molyviatis, Miller argued to the Greeks that there was no sense in reserving space in the Italy interconnector for Caspian gas, since Gazprom has effective control of that source of supply too. Molyviatis was unclear as to whether Miller was referring to purported Gazprom control of Azeri Shah Deniz gas or future Turkmen gas that might theoretically be available in the future via a Trans-Caspian pipeline. (Molyviatis asked Ambassador to arrange for a USG briefing for GoG experts on the ownership and control status of possible gas supplies from the Caspian.) In any event, Molyviatis said that the Greek response to Alexei Miller was to say that gas contracting for this corridor was not solely a Greek responsibility; Greece would need to consult with its partners Italy and Turkey. RIES