EU gas demands cannot be met unilaterally: Qatar
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With hopes for Europe to recover from its energy crisis, Qatar calls for a diplomatic solution to European tensions and says no one party can fulfill the continent's energy demands.
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A Gazprom gas drilling rig in the Kovyktinskoye gasfield, part of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline project, near Irkutsk, Russia (Bloomberg)
Qatari Energy Affairs Minister Saad Al-Kaabi said Tuesday there was no country that could unilaterally supply Europe with its gas needs and demands while still delivering energy supplies to other regions.
"The volume of gas needed by the EU cannot be replaced by anyone unilaterally without disturbing supplies to other regions around the world," Al-Kaabi stressed.
European energy security requires a collective effort from various parties, the minister added in light of tensions between the West and Russia over Nord Stream 2, which would help Europe overcome its energy crisis, but the US opposes.
The West, mostly the United States, has been using the natural gas pipeline as leverage against Russia to get it to comply with its demands in the region as Moscow wants to expand its circle of influence and help Europe overcome its fuel crisis exacerbated by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read: Russia: 'No point' in US sanctions against Nord Stream 2
The Qatari energy ministry released the statement after Al-Kaabi met with EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson via videoconference. The two discussed bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and various aspects of the global gas industry.
Al-Kaabi expressed hope that the parties to the tension in Europe would reach a diplomatic resolution, reaffirming Doha's readiness to "support our partners around the world in times of need."
He also recalled that Qatari firms "have never missed a single cargo delivery" over the last 25 years and asserted that it was "sacrosanct" in Qatar to keep their contractual word, "Therefore we have the full trust of our global commercial partners and buyers."
According to Al-Kaabi, the gas industry has been "severely" under-invested in the past few years, highlighting that an increase in investments was required in light of the growing demand for cleaner, safer, and more reliable baseload energy.
To ensure supply for the aforementioned demand, Al-Kaabi said, "Supply will be available, and prices will remain reasonable."
