Russia says to support Greece recovery by deepening energy cooperation

[reorg]

Source: Reuters

Markets | Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:46am EDT Related: WORLD

MOSCOW

Russia intends to support an economic recovery in Greece by expanding cooperation in the energy sector, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Sunday.

Novak said in a statement sent to reporters that Russia was considering the possibility of organizing direct energy supplies to Greece and hoped to reach an agreement on this within the next few weeks.

Greece currently buys Russian gas delivered by pipeline via Ukraine and the Balkan countries as well as Russian oil, usually through tenders from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/12/us-eurozone-greece-russia-energy-idUSKCN0PM0H320150712

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“Russia intends to support the recovery of the Greek economy by increasing cooperation in the energy sector. Therefore we are looking into options for facilitating direct energy supplies to Greece in the near future," the minister said.

According to Novak, the Russian Energy Ministry is planning to come to an agreement on energy supplies to Greece “within weeks.”

The potential of Russian-Greek relations was speculated on in June on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Minister of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Giorgos Stathakis said these relations have "a lot of potential" and will develop further once "problems" between the EU and Russia have settled down.

http://rt.com/business/273223-russia-greece-energy-supplies/

The latest list of reforms that Greece must meet if it wants another bailout from Europe reportedly includes the privatisation of the national grid.

Russia may thus get another opportunity to assist Greece in the energy sector, profit from it and improve Russian-EU relations in the process.

[jtuck004]

1. "eportedly includes the privatisation of the national grid. " < Much easier to fuck you

over with,my dear. None of that government-provided service for you...

[JDPriestly]

2. The Troika needs to wake up. How important is its security?

It's a lovely drive up the peninsula from Greece to Austria. A lovely drive. Just sayin'

And do you know what lies between Greece and Northern Europe?

The area formerly known as Yugoslavia and with which both Russia and Turkey have had very, very close ties at various times in history.

Whew!

Greece needs help. Some of the measures proposed make sense -- like reform of the Greek legal system or depoliticizing the Greek bureaucracy or tax enforcement. But . . . . some do not.

I'm sure this situation is very frustrating and costly for Northern Europe, but it hasn't been twenty years since the war involving Serbia. The last thing that is needed is to make Greece the location of a political showdown between right and left within Greece or spilling over from Greece into neighboring countries.

[Baclava]

3. I think Russia has bigger plans for helping Greece - in return they get Russian Navy bases

That would really poke a stick in the eye of the EU

Cyprus signs deal to allow Russian Navy to use ports

European governments are facing the prospect of a Russian beachhead in the Mediterranean after Cyprus confirmed they have agreed a deal to allow the Russian navy access to Cypriot ports, in the latest agreement struck between the two countries.



http://europe.newsweek.com/cyprus-agrees-deal-let-russian-navy-use-ports-309759

[NuclearDem]

5. Not in Greece.

[hack89]

6. Only if Greece drops out of NATO. nt

[Baclava]

7. ya, not likely now that Germany owns Greece assets if they default again

One of the linchpins of the deal struck Monday morning to prevent Greece’s exit (for now) from the eurozone is a fund that will manage the sale of the country’s state-owned assets. The deal requires that the fund at some point generate €50 billion in cash from the asset sales

http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2015/07/13/how-will-the-greek-privatization-work-the-short-answer/

[Nitram]

4. The first one is always free.