Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRATISLAVA46
2009-01-27 11:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
GAS CRISIS MAY PRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NABUCCO
how-toVZCZCXRO5955 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSL #0046 0271123 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271123Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2264 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000046
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE K. ERTAS AND L. LOCHMAN
STATE FOR EUR/ERA
USEU FOR ECON R. FROST
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: ECON ENRG PREL LO
SUBJECT: GAS CRISIS MAY PRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NABUCCO
REF: BRATISLAVA 0031
Classified By: CDA Keith A. Eddins for reasons 1.4 b and d
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000046
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE K. ERTAS AND L. LOCHMAN
STATE FOR EUR/ERA
USEU FOR ECON R. FROST
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: ECON ENRG PREL LO
SUBJECT: GAS CRISIS MAY PRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NABUCCO
REF: BRATISLAVA 0031
Classified By: CDA Keith A. Eddins for reasons 1.4 b and d
1. (C) In Ambassador Obsitnik's farewell calls on Slovak PM
Robert Fico and FM Jan Kubis (septel),both men brought up
the possibility of joining the Nabucco consortium as a hedge
against future crises. The Slovak leadership gave us their
frank views of the respective roles the Ukrainians and
Russians played in the recent gas crisis. Fico expressed
disillusionment with both sides, though in his public
statements he has grown increasingly critical of Ukraine. In
a press conference on 23 January, he floated the idea of
forming a joint venture with Gazprom to compete with Slovak
gas distributor SPP and bypass Ukraine, calling Ukraine an
unreliable partner. Kubis was pointed in his private
remarks; he said that "Ukraine betrayed us" in not making the
gas swap proposed by the Slovaks. (Note: According to
industry experts, the swap would have been difficult, perhaps
impossible, to implement. The flow of gas from reserves in
western Ukraine eastward would have made it necessary to cut
off major Ukrainian markets in order to ship the swapped gas
from Russia to replenish the reserves. See reftel. End
note.)
2. (C) We believe there is a real opportunity now--before the
memory of this crisis has dimmed--to approach the Slovaks to
take concrete steps toward joining the consortium. While the
GoS has in the past expressed a vague intention to join
Nabucco at some point in the future, it has not stepped up to
the plate. The Fico government has shown every evidence of
trying to forge a special relationship with Russia, of which
last week's press conference was only the latest instance
(though arguably the most spectacular). The recent crisis
has shown the problem with the status quo, and now the
government appears to be scrambling for some plan B. The
prospect of its neighbors profiting from early membership in
a successful Nabucco project while Slovakia shivers may be
vivid enough now to induce the GoS to push gas provider SPP
(in which it owns a 51 percent stake) toward a deal.
Whatever the uncertainties of Nabucco, the Slovaks cannot be
entirely blind to the hazards of relying even more on their
Russian suppliers.
EDDINS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE K. ERTAS AND L. LOCHMAN
STATE FOR EUR/ERA
USEU FOR ECON R. FROST
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: ECON ENRG PREL LO
SUBJECT: GAS CRISIS MAY PRESENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NABUCCO
REF: BRATISLAVA 0031
Classified By: CDA Keith A. Eddins for reasons 1.4 b and d
1. (C) In Ambassador Obsitnik's farewell calls on Slovak PM
Robert Fico and FM Jan Kubis (septel),both men brought up
the possibility of joining the Nabucco consortium as a hedge
against future crises. The Slovak leadership gave us their
frank views of the respective roles the Ukrainians and
Russians played in the recent gas crisis. Fico expressed
disillusionment with both sides, though in his public
statements he has grown increasingly critical of Ukraine. In
a press conference on 23 January, he floated the idea of
forming a joint venture with Gazprom to compete with Slovak
gas distributor SPP and bypass Ukraine, calling Ukraine an
unreliable partner. Kubis was pointed in his private
remarks; he said that "Ukraine betrayed us" in not making the
gas swap proposed by the Slovaks. (Note: According to
industry experts, the swap would have been difficult, perhaps
impossible, to implement. The flow of gas from reserves in
western Ukraine eastward would have made it necessary to cut
off major Ukrainian markets in order to ship the swapped gas
from Russia to replenish the reserves. See reftel. End
note.)
2. (C) We believe there is a real opportunity now--before the
memory of this crisis has dimmed--to approach the Slovaks to
take concrete steps toward joining the consortium. While the
GoS has in the past expressed a vague intention to join
Nabucco at some point in the future, it has not stepped up to
the plate. The Fico government has shown every evidence of
trying to forge a special relationship with Russia, of which
last week's press conference was only the latest instance
(though arguably the most spectacular). The recent crisis
has shown the problem with the status quo, and now the
government appears to be scrambling for some plan B. The
prospect of its neighbors profiting from early membership in
a successful Nabucco project while Slovakia shivers may be
vivid enough now to induce the GoS to push gas provider SPP
(in which it owns a 51 percent stake) toward a deal.
Whatever the uncertainties of Nabucco, the Slovaks cannot be
entirely blind to the hazards of relying even more on their
Russian suppliers.
EDDINS