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