DiXi Group expert speaking from The Hague about threats from Nord Stream 2
DiXi Group’s Research Director Roman Nitsovych was among the participants of the international conference “Putin’s Nord Stream 2 and its real price for Europe” in The Hague. He was invited to moderate the panel devoted to the project’s economic consequences. The event, organized by Free Russia Foundation, was attended by politicians, journalists and experts. “This is an important platform for conveying the truth and arguments about the risks stemming from the Nord Stream 2 project to people who make decisions and influence public opinion in the Netherlands and Europe on the whole,” Roman Nitsovych said. According to the DiXi Group expert, a lot of strong arguments were voiced during debates in support of the opinion that this project is more about geopolitics than business. In particular, speakers addressed the following topics: – Nord Stream 2 does not deliver more gas to Europe but represents an attempt to bypass Ukraine as a transit country; – this project is unrelated to the dynamics of demand for gas in Europe; – this project does not ensure flexibility (meeting the peak demand) and will overload the networks, thus segmenting the EU’s gas market; – this project necessitates additional investments in infrastructure (storage reservoirs, connection pipelines); – this project will reduce competition in markets of Central and Eastern Europe; – the project’s “business model” is impossible if the EU’s revised Gas Directive and the CJEU’s verdict regarding OPAL are complied with. The next conferences devoted to this topic will be held in Berlin and Strasbourg. DiXi Group experts will also attend them. The event was held as part of Rethink The Deal campaign that unites ecologists, economists and human rights activists around the subject of impact from the Nord Stream 2 project and the threats it poses to freedom and unity in Europe. The conference’s organizer, Free Russia Foundation, strives to consolidate efforts aimed to restore freedom and democracy in Russia, support pro-democracy forces inside Russia and work with Western expert communities.
