Russian threat to energy security worries Brown
Gordon Brown worried by pipeline geopolitics
Wednesday, 10, Sep 2008 12:00
Russia's actions in Georgia should prompt the European Union to revise its long-term energy security, Gordon Brown has said.
In a written statement to parliament the prime minister said he welcomed renewed commitments by Russia to withdraw from Georgian territory outside the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Mr Brown reaffirmed his belief that relations with Russia cannot continue in a "business as usual" sense, however, and called for reassessments of the Russian threat for energy security.
"We should explore all options for the diversification of energy supply in the EU, including increased support for infrastructure that diversifies energy sources, an increased commitment to renewable energy, measures to improve energy efficiency and measures to improve the internal market," he said.
A pipeline from Azerbaijan travels through Georgia before reaching the Black Sea and is the only route from the former Soviet satellite states which is not controlled by Russia.
Senior government officials have previously indicated their belief that unexplained stoppages or shortages of supplies in pipelines which do flow from Russia have been politically motivated. One senior diplomat told politics.co.uk the likelihood of a coincidence in stoppages to countries like Belarus and Ukraine is "miniscule".
Mr Brown supports Kiev's efforts to resist Russian control. A Ukraine-EU summit was completed yesterday and foreign secretary David Miliband visited last month to shore up relations.
"I am pleased that the [European] Council agreed that the EU should strengthen its relations with the region, including Ukraine," he added.
Earlier this week shadow foreign secretary William Hague backed the prime minister's uncompromising stance. He made clear that cancelled talks on a new EU-Russia partnership agreement, cancelled at last week's emergency EU meeting, should not be resumed until Moscow complies fully with European demands.
"It would be wrong for the EU to conclude a partnership agreement with a country that has abetted ethnic cleansing. South Ossetia must also be made safe for the return of ethnic Georgian refugees," Mr Hague said.
"EU members must remain united in sending a clear message that aggression will not be rewarded."
Progress on the ground remains uncertain. The French-brokered agreement reached yesterday to withdraw troops from Georgia proper by October 14th could easily collapse, Global Insight analyst Grace Annan warns.
"As positive as they are, the commitments made by the Kremlin and the Georgian government are on shaky ground," she said.
"They depend on the capacity of these two hostile sides to refrain from any further aggression, something which is far from guaranteed at this stage."