SLOVENIA-RUSSIA/MEDVEDEV Russian PM hails Slovenia's "balanced approach" to tensions between EU and Russia

Record ID: 145766

  • Title: SLOVENIA-RUSSIA/MEDVEDEV Russian PM hails Slovenia's "balanced approach" to tensions between EU and Russia
  • Date: 27th July 2015
  • Summary: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (JULY 27, 2015) (REUTERS) GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FLAGS OF SLOVENIA AND EUROPEAN UNION RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER DMITRY MEDVEDEV AND SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER MIRO CERAR ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS MEDVEDEV AND CERAR LEAVING VARIOUS OF MEDVEDEV AND CERAR AT SIGNING OF COOPERATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND SLOVENIA VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN AND SLOVEN
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Slovenia
  • Country: Slovenia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABXVSNOGAFWTTW9IYZ7DY725VL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev praised Slovenia's balancing act between the European Union and Russia on Monday (July 27), the second day of his official visit to Slovenia.
    "Slovenia's position has always been, and I hope will be, calm and well-balanced," Medvedev said at a joint news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar, holding Slovenia up as an example in contrast to more hawkish members of the 28-nation bloc.
    "It is very good that as various questions of the highest complexity are being discussed in the European Union, one can hear the voices of those countries that understand that sanctions all in all do not lead to anything good, that we will not break away from each other, that we need to develop normal, hearty relations, and that any conflict is solved only by peaceful means," he added.
    It was Medvedev's first visit to a European Union member country since the introduction of EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
    Russian and Slovenian delegations signed several cooperation agreements, while the two prime ministers also discussed energy projects.
    On the building of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, intended to replace the South Stream project and bring Russia's natural gas to western European markets, Medvedev said the logistics should be determined by the EU.
    "How and where to distribute the corresponding gas capacity, should be determined by the European Union itself and the countries who take part in this project, if they are willing to (participate)," he said.
    "Our task consists of transporting gas via the bottom of the Black Sea and delivering it to the European Union border. I mean the idea to create a large gas distribution center, a so-called hub, between the Turkish-Greek border," he added.
    Gazprom's plans to avoid shipping gas through Ukraine - with whom relations have been strained by the overthrow of a Moscow-leaning president, Russia's annexation of Crimea and a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine - centre around building a pipeline to Turkey.
    But Russia still has no firm agreement with Ankara on the Turkish Stream project, announced by President Vladimir Putin in December, and it faces opposition from the European Union.
    Gazprom, which generates about 8 percent of Russia's gross domestic product, has put costs for the first line of the Turkish Stream at 3.3 billion euros. The pipeline should consist of four lines, each with an annual capacity 15.75 bcm.
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