Financiarul

The question of the energy security has been put again on the agenda of the foreign ministers of the European Union member states, who dealt with this subject during the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) to be held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday in preparation of the EU summits with Russia and Ukraine on November 18 and December 4.

The EU ministers presented their expectations referring to a new gas crisis and voiced hope that they would observe the assurance given by the two partners in this respect. A clear message was conveyed that the EU expected predictability and transparency in this field.
In his speech Secretary of State Bogdan Mazuru, who represents Romania at the GAERC, emphasized the fact that “for the EU it is difficult to accept the repetition of the situation last winter.”

“The energy security must be an opportunity for the development of the cooperation between the EU and its partners, not an instrument with possible political implications. The EU must convey a unitary message as it is much more powerful when speaking in one voice and the Lisbon Treaty consolidates this approach,” said Mazuru.

Russian Minister of Energy Sergei Shmatko and European Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs on Monday signed the memorandum on the mechanism of early warning in the energy sphere as part of the Russia-EU dialogue. According to the two officials, by signing this document, the sides will finally be able to ensure the supply of energy without problems to Europe. As a matter of fact, Russia and the EU have decided not to stop at that, intending also to draw up a convention on regulating relations in the energy field.