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Defying U.S. calls to cut back its dependency on energy supplies from Russia, Serbia on Friday formally launched a brand new gasoline hyperlink that may carry further Russian gasoline to the Balkan nation through Bulgaria and Turkey.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended a ceremony Friday for the opening of the 400-kilometer (250-mile) part of the Turkish Stream pipeline saying that Serbia has change into “much richer” due to the brand new Russian vitality provides.
“Serbia has managed, with the help of our Russian friends and partners, to secure supply on its territory with gas,” Vucic mentioned. “From our territory, gas will go towards Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, we will look at what other territories and countries (will be included) in the future. It’s an important and great day for our country.”
Serbia has to date obtained the Russian gasoline through Hungary and Ukraine. But with Moscow’s makes an attempt to bypass the Ukraine pipelines to the remainder of Europe, it has been in search of various provide routes.
Like the almost-completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline that’s to double Russian gasoline provides to Germany, the Turkish Stream was threatened by U.S. sanctions in opposition to corporations concerned within the mission.
Serbia, a European Union candidate nation, relies upon virtually fully on Russian vitality provides. Washington has been urging Serbia to diversify its vitality provides and use and American liquid gasoline shipments, however these are typically costlier.
Although when he was in Washington, Vucic signed a pledge to cut back Serbia’s Russian vitality dependency, he has mentioned he wouldn’t be blackmailed by anybody to purchase costlier gasoline for political causes.
Although Serbia has been formally looking for EU membership, it has additionally been strengthening its political, financial and army ties with conventional Slavic ally Russia in addition to with China.
The gasoline provides are certainly one of Moscow’s main methods to exert political strain and affect on some less-developed nations, together with Serbia.
Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko mentioned through the pipeline opening that “this is really the best present for the New Year.”
“As soon as the New Year started, we have a great event in the development of our bilateral relations,” he mentioned.
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