REUTERS
Russia has always been a reliable gas supplier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a special interview, ahead of the Ukrainian-German Business Forum to be held on October 23 in Berlin, answering the question whether she sees a threat to Germany in the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine.
"No, right now I do not see such a threat. We are very pleased that the winter package is almost agreed in terms of providing Ukraine with natural gas. Germany also has other sources of supply. Although in general, Russia had always proved to be a reliable supplier of natural gas. We are also partially trying to diversify our own dependence - through southern gas pipelines, which transport, inter alia, the Azerbaijani gas. But in general we have confidence in Russia in terms of Russian gas supplies," Angela Merkel said.
The German Chancellor also stressed that, although Ukraine is the world’s fourth gas importer, it is currently heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies.
"Russia has many times used this dependence as a tool of political pressure," said Merkel.