End of the gas bluff

Baku/27.12.13/Turan : The volume of natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Russia , according to preliminary estimates , in 2013 decreased by 31.5 % - to 1.37 billion m3. This became known after a meeting in Moscow on December 26 of Gazprom CEO Alexander Miller and SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev , said the publication Neftegaz.ru.

Practically, these deliveries have been made to the North Caucasus region since 2010. In October 2009, Gazprom and SOCAR signed a contract on the sale of 1.5 billion m3 of Azerbaijani gas. Gas supply on the contract started on 1 January 2010 .

In 2011, Gazprom had to get two billion m3 , and in 2012 - more than 2 billion m3 of gas. However , by the end of 2012, the Russian side did not get the planned volumes. In such a situation it was strange conclusion to sign January 24, 2012 additional agreement to increase the volume of purchases of Azerbaijani gas by Russia to 3 billion m3. Over the year, it became clear that twice less gas was supplied.

According to Turan, the Azerbaijani side has always insisted on increasing the gas supplies, implying the European Union that Azerbaijan has an alternative market. Russia, and even Iran, played up these allegations of official Baku usually at a time when the EU was stepping up pressure on Azerbaijan in connection with defaults in the field of human rights and democracy.

However, this tool has become bluffing and expired after reaching the critical value of gas agreements between Azerbaijan, EU and Russia and after the EU created a more consistent and principled policy of European integration in the Eastern direction.   -0 -