Putin’s assistant: the fewer transit states, the easier :: Charter'97 :: News

Assistant of President of the Russian Federation Sergei Yastrzhembsky considers that Russia has to build pipelines passing by such transit countries as, for instance, Belarus. “The fewer transit states on the way of Russian energy resources to Europe, the better both for Russia and for Europe –it will be easier for us and more convenient for them. And that will only increase the energy security”, Putin’s assistant declared in his interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

“They want to make us agree that it is useless to build oil- and gas-pipelines directly to European consumers. But I am sure that such pipelines are highly demanded”, he said.

Yastrzhembsky also commented on the Belarusian authorities attempts to improve their relations with the West.

“You can declare whatever you want, but it does not mean that it will actually happen. It is the question to the West if it is ready to receive Lukashenka. And it seems to me that the West has already formulated its answer. It doesn’t sound very hopefully, the way Minsk would like it to sound”, the assistant of President of the Russian Federation.