OUR European Commission have not yet decided whether to include the restriction in their price natural gas for electricity generation in the package of energy measures it will propose next week, said the head of EU energy policy.

“Over the weekend, we will see how we can move forward with limiting the use of natural gas for electricity production – if it is at a stage where we can say that the vast majority of member states support this measure,” the energy commissioner. said EU Kadri Simson at a press conference after the meeting of European energy ministers in Prague today Wednesday.

“EU countries they want a common gas market”

European Union energy ministers have reached a general agreement on joint gas supplies by next summer, and also agreed that an alternative reference price for natural gas is needed, Czech Industry Minister Józef Sikela said.

The ministerial meeting in Prague helped bridge differences between EU member states, Mr. Sikela said. “We want to speed up joint purchasing and use the purchasing power of the entire EU to ensure supplies for next winter, which may be even more important than next,” he said.

Putin proposed a new gas hub in Turkey

Earlier, speaking at the energy forum in Moscow, President of Russia Vladimir Putin he noted that Russia could divert supplies destined for the Nord Stream gas pipeline to the Black Sea to make Turkey a major gas energy hub for Europe.

“We could transfer the lost volumes via Nord Stream from the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea region and thus make the main routes for the supply of our fuel, our natural gas to Europe through Turkey, creating the largest gas hub for Europe in Turkey,” he said. and added: “That is, of course, if our partners are interested. And if there is a financial opportunity to implement it.

At the same time, the Russian president said that the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which European and Western governments have described as sabotage, represent a “dangerous precedent”, citing “an act of international terrorism.”

But he expressed satisfaction that the pipelines could be repaired and stressed that Russia was ready to send gas through Nord Stream 2, one of the lines of which, according to him, is safe. “The ball is on the side of the EU.” he stressed, arguing that Moscow is not responsible for high energy prices in Europe.

^{According to REUTERS}