Энергетическая безопасность (двуязычная рубрика)

U.S. energy sec says Russian energy role expanding
'Russia is emerging as a separate nucleus of the energy equation'

By Samantha SHIELDS
(C) Reuters Limited 2001

MOSCOW, Nov 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said on Wednesday that Russia's influence as an energy exporter to world markets was expanding.

"I think Russia is emerging as a separate nucleus of the energy equation," Abraham told reporters at a round table briefing.

"We treat the Russian role as a very important one, we have great respect for the energy role that Russia is playing and we believe it will be an expanded role in future," he added.

A statement from Russia's Ministry of Energy said Russian minister Igor Yusufov had told Abraham during a meeting in Moscow that oil prices should be fair for both producers and importers.

Abraham said he and Yusufov had discussed Russia's smaller-than-hoped-for export cut of 50,000 barrels of crude oil a day, announced last week after a protracted stalemate with OPEC, but would not give details.

"Decisions on production need to be taken in the context of growth in the world economy. We want to see as much economic growth as possible," Abraham said.

OPEC President Chakib Khelil on Tuesday issued a veiled threat to hike production if rival exporters failed to curb production sufficiently.

But Abraham refused to comment on the possibility of lenders helping Russia in the event of an oil price collapse.

The United States is strongly in favour of additional pipelines to transport oil and gas from the energy-rich Caspian Sea to world markets, said Abraham.

The U.S. Caspian envoy, Stephen Mann, who was also present at the briefing, said plans for a $3 billion pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, completely bypassing Russia were moving ahead.

"Baku-Ceyhan is moving along nicely, Baku-Ceyhan and CPC are complimentary," he said, referring to the $2.5 billion pipeline from Kazakhstan to NovoroSsiisk in Russia which opened officially on Tuesday.

Observers have in the past seen the United States favouring export routes west which avoided Russia.

The spirit of new collaboration between Russia and the United States in the wake of the September 11 attacks is seen ending traditional rivalries over routes.

"Our position on Caspian energy transport has never been anti-Russian, only anti-monopoly," Mann said.

"We think it makes sense to give producer countries more options for the export of products," he said.

Abraham will stay in Moscow until Thursday evening, when he leaves for Vienna to hold nuclear nonproliferation talks with officials from the International Atomic Energy Association.

Reuters English News Service, 28 November 2001