Serbia, Russia join up on gas, opposing U.S.

BELGRADE, Serbia — Defying U.S. calls to reduce its dependency on energy supplies from Russia, Serbia on Friday officially launched a new gas link that will bring additional Russian gas to the Balkan country via Bulgaria and Turkey.

President Aleksandar Vucic attended a ceremony Friday for the opening of the 250-mile section of the Turkish Stream pipeline, saying Serbia has become “much richer” thanks to the new Russian energy supplies.

“Serbia has managed, with the help of our Russian friends and partners, to secure supply on its territory with gas,” Vucic said. “From our territory, gas will go towards Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, we will look at what other territories and countries (will be included) in the future. It’s an important and great day for our country.”

Serbia has so far received the Russian gas via Hungary and Ukraine. But with Moscow’s

attempts to circumvent the Ukrainian pipelines to the rest of Europe, it has been looking for alternative supply routes.

Serbia, a European Union candidate country, depends almost entirely on Russian energy supplies. Washington has been urging Serbia to diversify its supplies and use U.S. liquid gas shipments, but those tend to be more expensive.

Although when he was in Washington, Vucic signed a pledge to reduce Serbia’s Russian energy dependency, he has said he would not be blackmailed by anyone to buy more expensive gas for political reasons.