Russia maintains a price for gas supplied to Serbia. Vucic wants a gas pipeline from the Republic of Moldova to the border with Hungary
Serbia will receive gas from Russia at a price of $ 270 per thousand cubic meters, as in the current contract expiring at the end of this year, Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic announced on Thursday at the end of his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, reports TASS, Reuters and EFE.
Vucic had asked Russia last month for a “favorable” price for Russian gas imports, after gas prices had risen sharply in recent months following a return to global demand after easing restrictions on the coronavirus pandemic.
From the beginning of the meeting, the Russian president had promised his Serbian counterpart that the new contract for the supply of Russian gas to Serbia, which should enter into force in 2022, would be “undoubtedly acceptable” for Belgrade. He said he expects an agreement to be reached before the current one expires.
“I think we will reach an agreement and, in any case, we will find a solution that will undoubtedly be acceptable to our Serbian friends,” Putin promised, receiving Vucic at his residence in Sochi.
For Belgrade, “the issue of gas supply is very important,” the Serbian president said, referring to the joint construction of a gas pipeline that will stretch from the border with Moldova to the border with Hungary, a project that will guarantee Serbia’s gas supply. . EFE agency.
The conclusion of a new gas contract to replace the current one, under the same conditions, is an objective of Vucic’s visits to Russia – the 19th in the last seven years; an important issue for the Serbian president, given that the next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for March – April 2022.
Aware of this, Putin referred to the upcoming elections and thanked his Serbian counterpart “for the personal attention he pays to the development of Russian-Serbian relations,” Agerpres reports.
According to the Russian daily Kommersant, Belgrade is currently paying $ 270 per thousand cubic meters of gas, while the price of gas in Europe has jumped by $ 1,000 per thousand cubic meters.
According to the quoted publication, if the price of gas supplied by Russia to Serbia would increase to $ 500, almost double, the expenses of these countries would increase by 600 million euros per year.
The official Russian news agency TASS reported last week that Vucic is looking to buy about 3 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually for the next 10 years, which would cover almost all of Serbia’s gas needs.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said it expects the average price of Russian gas in Europe to exceed $ 300 per thousand cubic meters this year.
Regarding cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, the Russian president said that Russia “not only supplied Serbia with the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, but also opened a production plant in Belgrade,” which will not only meet Serbian demand. . , but also the supply of this vaccine to neighboring countries.
Cooperation between Moscow and Belgrade is not just an economy, Putin said, stressing that the two countries regularly conduct joint military maneuvers and maintain close contacts at the level of defense ministries and staff. “This is undoubtedly for the benefit of both countries,” he said, noting that many Serbian soldiers are studying at Russian military universities and academies.
Vucic thanked his Russian counterpart for technical-military cooperation, appreciating it as “at the highest level”.
Finally, Putin reiterated Moscow’s unwavering support for Belgrade over its tensions with Kosovo, noting that Russia’s position “is fundamental” and does not depend on political circumstances.
Editor: AC