FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Russian Energy Minister Novak in Washington, Meets Energy Secretary Perry
June 27, 2018 (EIRNS) —Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, in the U.S. to attend the World Gas Conference, met yesterday with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry in Washington, to discuss
“bilateral energy cooperation, the current state of collaboration and future perspectives, presence of U.S. companies on the Russian market, including such companies as ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Honeywell, among others,”
Novak told reporters following the meeting with Perry.
Novak reported that the two also discussed the Nord Stream 2 project for a new export gas pipeline running from Russia to Europe across the Baltic Sea, which is an anathema for anti-Russia ideologues.
On that, “we have exchanged opinions, as they say. We will keep discussing this issue, because Secretary Perry and I agreed to maintain contact,” Novak stated. He reported that he invited Perry to the Russian Energy Week in Moscow next Oct. 3-8, and that the two “agreed to maintain contacts and cooperation in this area, because energy has the potential of becoming the driving force for our relations.
“In general, this market will keep growing, it will become more and more globalized. Worldwide gas consumption will grow, especially on regional markets, such as Asia-Pacific and Africa, where lots of people have no access to traditional sources of energy. That’s why there is huge potential for developing cooperation in this area and for joining forces. I think that such an opportunity exists.
“But, of course, we will need to make maximum effort to turn the [Russian-U.S.] energy cooperation into, as I have already said, the driving force of our relations,”
Novak said.
