Concerns that the Slovak gas carrier Eustream may lose a significant portion of its business in the coming years are starting to become a reality according to the Hospodárske Noviny business daily. Russia’s gas giant Gazprom has agreed with Austria’s OMV to build the new gas pipeline named South Stream.
The Russians want to use this pipeline to send gas to the European Union. “If there is South Stream, Russia will be able to bypass Ukraine and Slovakia”, said Chairman of Eustream’s Board of Directors Tomas Mareček. The European Union wants to buy gas for all countries together and for the same price. During the time of the Ukrainian crisis it thus wants to weaken the position of Russia which is influencing the economic and political events through the supply and price of gas. However, it is questionable whether the gas unity would be profitable for Slovakia and whether it could work technically. Slovak negotiators only recently obtained a discount on supplies from Russia for the largest Slovak gas supplier, which gives room for cheaper energy.
