DiXi Group President attends Kyiv Security Forum
Speaking during the online discussion at Kyiv Security Forum held on 10 April, DiXi Group President Olena Pavlenko focused attention upon anti-crisis actions in Ukraine’s energy sector. “Judging by the outcome of the OPEC+ meeting, it is hardly likely that oil and gas prices will significantly increase in the nearest future. They will remain low, whereas Russia expected the year 2020 with much higher oil and gas prices,” Olena Pavlenko said. According to her assessment, Russia will work hard to get sanctions slapped upon her because of the war against Ukraine and annexation of Crimea lifted, and these attempts will be especially visible in the second half of this year. “We already see these attempts: the famous attempt to adopt a declaration of solidarity, or humanitarian convoys which Russia is trying to deliver to EU states. These attempts will only intensify, because in the second half of 2020, voting in the EU will pass to Germany. We know how good the relationship with large German businesses Russia has,” the expert said during the online discussion at Kyiv Security Forum. Low oil prices provide an excellent opportunity to start piling up stocks, the expert said. For Ukraine, this is not just a matter of energy security but also fulfillment of the Association Agreement. There is a EU directive requiring Ukraine to create stocks of oil. According to Mrs. Pavlenko, Ukraine has developed a relevant draft law, but the government made no move during two-three years to adopt that law. “To me, we presently have an excellent opportunity to pick up that draft law and adopt it,” Olena Pavlenko said.