Serbia Gave Russia Word of Oil
// Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic confirmed the existing agreement
On oil and Kosovo
Yesterday Chief of Serbia’s Foreign Office Vuk Jeremic visited Moscow. It’s the first time a Serbian politician of that rank comes to Russia since a new government was formed in Serbia. That’s why Mr Jeremic’s visit was to make clear the state of affairs in the two major issues of the relations between Moscow and Belgrade – Kosovo and an oil and gas agreement. On completion of his visit the Serbian Minister assured Kommersant that “an absolute agreement on all issues” was reached during the talks.
Agreements between Moscow and Belgrade on both key matters of their relations were already reached under the former Serbian government of Vojislav Kostunica. Ten days ago a new government was formed in Belgrade, with Boris Tadic’s democrats playing the key role in it. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who’s regarded one of the closest adherents of the Serbian head of state, came to Moscow to bring home the priorities of the new cabinet. Belgrade’s official position on Kosovo hasn’t changed: it hasn’t recognized the self-proclaimed independence of the region. But unlike the previous government, the new one intends to struggle for Kosovo simultaneously normalizing the relations with the European Union, where the majority of the member-states have recognized Kosovo’s independence. According to some sources, Belgrade has even considered a possibility of returning some of its ambassadors which were recalled from the countries that recognized Kosovo’s independence. Yesterday Vuk Jeremic confirmed this information to Kommersant. In this situation Moscow decided to stick to its usual position. Yesterday Russia’s Foreign Office Chief Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Russia will support “any decision on Kosovo that Belgrade accepts.”
Besides, Vuk Jeremic told Kommersant that Moscow and Belgrade negotiated “a full coordination of their activities in the Kosovo direction.” Also, Russia will support Serbia’s appeal to the UN General Assembly to find out the International Court’s opinion concerning the situation in Kosovo – the parties evidently reckon that the court will render Kosovo’s independence illegitimate. Moscow is also ready to support the transition of some of the credentials of the current UN mission in Kosovo to the EU one – EULEX. But it’ll be done only after Belgrade approves of it. According to Mr Jeremic, Serbia doesn’t mind the idea if the EULEX doesn’t claim the realization of Ahtisaari’s plan its prime aim and if the UN Security Council sanctions “the change of guard” in Kosovo. “Everything we find unacceptable will be blocked by Russia in the Security Council,” the Head of the Serbian Foreign Ministry assured Kommersant.
The future of an oil and gas agreement signed by Russia and Serbia on January 25 was another crucial matter discussed at yesterday’s talks (according to the information of Kommersant, this issue was the first to have been discussed). The agreement envisages constructing a branch of the “South Stream” gas pipeline on the territory of Serbia, building an underground gas repository “Banatsky Court” and Gazprom’s purchasing 51% of the NIS – Serbia’s largest oil company. The protocol to the agreement reads that Gazpromneft will pay ˆ400 mln for the NIS and will invest another ˆ500 mln in it. But the political crisis which broke out in Serbia after the previous government’s resignation impeded the documents coming into force.
During its first session the new Serbian government sent the agreement to the Parliament for ratification. However, Prime Minister Mirko Tsvetkovich stated that the document doesn’t mention the cost of the NIS deal – it’ll be negotiated later. Moreover, Deputy Prime Minister Mladjan Dinkic, who is reputed to lobby for western capital and to oppose selling the NIS to Gazprom, has been appointed Serbia’s negotiator. It all made Moscow worry whether Belgrade decided to overhaul the deal concluded in the presence of the two heads of state.
Yesterday Vuk Jeremic assured his Moscow counterparts that “the ratification of the energy agreement will be carried out during the session of the Serbian parliament,” which started yesterday. “There is no dilemma, the agreement will be fulfilled,” he added. Answering a blunt question of Kommersant, whether the Serbian parliament will ratify the protocol to the agreement as well, or the price of the NIS is still under discussion, Mr Jeremic said, “Negotiations can focus on details only, which won’t jeopardize the realization of the agreement.”
It means that the oil and gas agreement won’t be overhauled, and the price of the NIS can be adjusted only marginally. Belgrade understands that canceling the January agreements, whose guarantor is Serbian President Boris Tadic, can jeopardize the relations between Russia and Serbia, and not only in the sphere of economy.
Gennady Sysoev, Vyacheslav Leonov
All the Article in Russian as of July 18, 2008
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