RUSSIAN MFA CRITICIZES DAS BRYZA'S FINANCIAL TIMES

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 012259

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2016
TAGS: PREL ENRG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN MFA CRITICIZES DAS BRYZA'S FINANCIAL TIMES
INTERVIEW

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells. Reasons: 1.4(B/D).


1. (C) MFA North America Deputy Director Vladimir Vinokurov
contacted Political M/C November 2 to highlight the
ministry's critical reaction to comments made about the
Northern European Gas Pipeline (NEGP) by DAS Bryza in an
October 30 Financial Times of Germany interview. Vinkurov
told us the interview had "created some tension here." He
said the MFA's understanding was that pipelines were to be
assessed on their commercial potential and not on political
grounds. The MFA was disappointed in the approach adopted in
the interview and said Moscow did not believe U.S. officials
should comment critically on bilateral economic issues
between Russia and Germany. Political M/C responded that we
would report the remarks to Washington, and noted that the
U.S. expected Russia to live up to its G-8 energy security
commitments and be a reliable and responsible energy
supplier.


2. (C) Informal Embassy translation of the MFA Press Office
commentary:

In Moscow, attention was focused on an October 30 interview
by Deputy Assistant Secretary M. Bryza in the Financial Times
of Germany in which he frightened German readers with the
prospect of the construction of the Northern European Gas
Pipeline. (Bryza said) "The NEGP will strengthen the
dependence of Germany on Russian gas and then what could
happen to you could be the same as what happened to Ukraine
last winter."

We will not speak about the appropriateness of a
representative of the U.S. government taking upon himself the
responsibility of instructing Germany on how it should build
cooperation with Russia in as important a field as the
delivery of gas. One need only recall that some years ago
American representatives also spoke out against the Blue
Stream Pipeline with the same motivation, as if Turkey and
Europe would fall into energy dependence on Russia. Life has
shown how farfetched these warnings were -- Blue Stream
became a successful example of Russian-Turkish energy
cooperation and its expansion is now being examined.

Unfortunately, the impression is being created that the U.S.
opposition, first to Blue Stream and now to the NEGP, is not
based on concerns about the energy security of Europe, but on
the principle (as confessed by some American officials) that
good gas pipelines are those which go around Russia.

Even in the most difficult times Russia never violated its
obligations to deliver gas to its European partners. The
decision to reorient to Europe part of the unique Shtokman
gas field guarantees the stable delivery of Russian gas to
Europe for many decades. A durable energy partnership with
Russia based on the mutual responsibility of producers and
consumers of energy resources, and not on artificial energy
schemes, is the authentic guarantee of energy security for
Europe.
BURNS