site.btaInside the Balkans

Greece to Help Bulgaria after Russia Cuts Gas Supply

Athens - Greek Prime Minister has promised his Bulgarian counterpart help after Russia cut off its gas supply, Reuters reported. 

Mitsotakis and Petkov discussed the issue by phone on Wednesday.

"The prime minister said that Greece will help Bulgaria to deal with the new situation caused by the Russian decisions on energy," Mitsotakis' office said in a statement, without providing further details.

A Greek source close to the matter told Reuters that Athens could help Bulgaria by reversing the flow of the TurkStream pipeline, a mechanism that has been used before.

The pipeline brings in Russian gas to Greece via the Black Sea, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Serbian Energy Minister Mihajlovic: Gas Supply to Serbia Unaffected by Suspension of Gas Supplies to Bulgaria

Belgrade - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said on Wednesday that the discontinuation of gas supplies to Bulgaria does not affect supply to Serbia, quoted by the Danas daily.

"We get through the Balkan Stream regularly the agreed quantities of 6 million cu m daily. We consume about 4.6 million cubic meters per day, which means we have enough for our needs. In spite of regular supplies we have considered what to do if gas supplies to a transit country are discontinued and it withdraws gas for its own needs as it has already happened. It should not be forgotten that Bulgaria is entirely dependent on Russian gas and cannot take gas for its own needs from other sources. We hope that it will not happen, we are in communication with them all the time, "said Mihajlovic.

She stated that Serbia is prepared if such a situation occurs. "We have several possibilities. One is to use gas from the storage facility in Banatski Dvor, where we have gas for 21 days in our part. There are reserves in the Russian part for another 22 days. Five million cubic meters can be extracted from that storage facility every day. In addition if necessary we can substitute gas with another energy source such as fuel oil. The second option is to supplement the storage in Banatski Dvor, and the third is to lease the capacity in a storage outside Serbia, for example in Hungary, and to think about joint purchase of gas with Europe," she explained. 

Mihajlovic also said that all options are being considered in order to provide sufficient quantities of gas for the upcoming winter season, when the daily consumption is from 11 to 15 million cubic meters. Speaking about the new contract with Gazprom, she said that one of the options is to extend the existing one until the end of the year, instead of concluding a new long-term contract. 

Transgaz's Sterian: Romania's Gas Imports Not Affected; We Can Cover Consumption from Domestic Production

Bucharest - "Romania's gas imports are proceeding normally, while our country can cover its consumption needs from domestic production during this time," Transgaz CEO Ion Sterian told AGERPRES on Wednesday.

"Romania's gas consumption reached 13-14 million cu m per day during the Easter days, which is very low, with Romgaz being forced to close some of its wells and reduce its production, as a result of the low demand. For Wednesday consumption is estimated at 19.5 million cubic metres," Sterian said.

Gas imports on Wednesday totalled 3.5 million cubic metres (3.2 million cubic metres via Hungary and 300,000 cubic meters via Negru Voda), which was the same level as in the previous days.

"Romania can ensure all its gas consumption from domestic production during this time of the year. Consumption is no more than 20-21 million cubic metres per day, and production can reach 23 million cubic metres. However, it is important we bring gas in through imports to fill the storage facilities, so that in the autumn, at the beginning of the cold season, we will have 3.2 billion cubic metres in such facilities," Sterian added.

According to him, there are currently 640 million cubic metes of gas in storage facilities in Romania, by 230 million cubic metres more than in the same period last year.

"Our salvation is the BRUA pipeline (Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria), which is functional and helps us to have security of supply and ensure the transit of gas in the region, including in reverse flow, while also obtaining revenues from transit fees," the head of Transgaz said.

BRUA is designed to carry 4.5 billion cu m of natural gas from Azerbaijan to Austria via Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

Turkey Expects Second Batch of S-400 Missile Systems from Russia

Istanbul - Turkey expects to receive a second batch from the Russian S-400 missile systems although the implementation of this part with the contract with Russia has been delayed. This transpired from a statement of Ismail Demir, President of the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries on TRT Haber.

Demir underscored that from the very beginning Turkey has agreed with Russia to receive two systems. "The project is one. We prepared one project and we are not preparing a second one," he said, adding that this is the second batch of a delivery planned from the very start.

"Turkey thought and reconsidered, and regardless of what America says, will buy the second system. Turkey continues to implement the same decision it made from the beginning, " he said.

According to Demir, Turkey could have received the second batch immediately but as part of the agreement there was an arrangement for technological cooperation. He added that talks on the matter took a bit longer and the delivery of the second batch has been postponed.