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Videanu: Romania, Russia to discuss South Stream during Gazprom CEO's visit to Bucharest
According to Agerpres correspondent , Romanian Economy Minister Adriean Videanu here on Wednesday expressed Romania's willingness to provide Russia with the necessary data for the feasibility study in order to build the South Stream pipeline, and the results of this feasibility study are to be discussed in August, when the CEO of the Russian giant Gazprom Aleksei Miller is to pay a visit to Bucharest.
'The discussion I had with president Aleksei Miller and vice president Aleksandr Medvedev was an extremely optimistic and positive one. We talked about five main topics: gas storage facilities - and we believe that they will reach maturity by the end of the year, considering the fact that the feasibility study on the Roman-Margineni gas deposit (eastern Romania) will be ended in October and we can finalise this action,' said Adriean Videanu, following the meeting with the Gazprom CEO at the Russian giant's headquarters.
The second topic tackled focused on the energy production, with Gazprom paying special interest in investing in this sector, together with Romanian gas producer Romgaz. Another issue discussed with the Gazprom officials referred to the gas transit system. In this respect, it was decided that the technical delegation from Romania's Transgaz should go to Moscow on July 6, in order to conclude the negotiations on the gas transit to the Balkans.
Romania's delegation and Gazprom management also examined the possibility of a direct relation between Romgaz and the Russian company, after 2012, and Minister Videanu voiced optimism in this respect. 'We have positive signs related to a direct cooperation on gas supply. I reasserted our wish and Russia expressed its willingness to take it into consideration,' added Videanu.
'We have also tackled the South Stream topic. Romania firmly expresses its availability for providing the Russian party with all relevant and necessary data to complete the feasibility studies. President Miller told me that sometime around the end of August, we will have the relevant feasibility data and he even accepted my invitation to pay a visit to Bucharest, right after the relevant data are provided, where we will have detailed discussions, according to the feasibility study's results,' said Videanu.
'We are waiting for the Russian party's decision on completing the feasibility study and according to these data, we are to make certain decisions,' said Videanu. Asked if he received an offer from Gazprom regarding Romania's participation in South Stream and what the options would be, Videanu answered: 'We did not tackle such details, as we do not have the relevant data from the feasibility studies. President Miller informed me that we would have the relevant data by the end of August and we will discuss in much more detail in Bucharest.'
'From this viewpoint, I am content that most of the projects on the southern corridor run through Romania, which makes it an extremely important partner for all gas providers, either we talk about the gas in the Caspian Sea area, or about the other partners. It is in Romania's best interest to objectively analyse all projects that may lead to ensuring the energy security of Romania and not only - also the European Union's, as Romania, as a transit country, may become an open gate to all EU member states regarding the gas supply. (...) We are fully open to analysing all projects that lead to ensuring energy security,' underscored Videanu.