Joint Press Conference Following Talks with Prime Minister of Hungary Ferenc Gyurcsany.Part 5
February 28, 2006
Budapest
Совместная пресс-конференция с Премьер-министром Венгрии Ференцем Дюрчанем
28 февраля 2006 года
Будапешт
FERENC GYURCSANY: Both President Putin and myself are part of the generation that was born after the Second World War. We can resolve problems through our strength of will. Either we want to become mired in the past or we want to settle the problems before us. A selfish policy can provide the short-term illusion of stability but in the long run leads only to uncertainty. Russia understands this and is acting accordingly now to build a democratic society. We also understand this and are building our democratic society accordingly, and it is this that forms the foundation of our ties.
Russia understands that there can be no repeat of 1956. This is the past now. President Yeltsin said this in 1992, and President Putin made this even more clear today. I can say the same about Hungarys past. There is a moral responsibility, but we cannot let this moral responsibility bind us hand and foot. We need to free ourselves from this past and work to build the future. This is what Hungary wants and it is what Russia wants. There is no other way forward. The President of Russia understands this, and the President of Hungary also understands this and says so.
QUESTION: I have a question regarding Iran. What outcome do you hope the negotiating process will produce? Would it be acceptable to you for Iran to enrich uranium on its own soil? If agreements are concluded, then what steps are you willing to take? And a second question: could you say a bit more about the gas pipeline? What can Russia do and what is it willing to do in order to convince Europe that it really is a reliable partner? Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I do not think that anyone in Europe should have any doubts as to the reliability of Russias energy supplies to Europe. Russia has never failed to meet its energy supply commitments, not even during the difficult economic situation in the mid-1990s. All that we have undertaken over these last years is aimed at increasing the reliability with which our suppliers meet their contractual obligations. I have spoken about this on many occasions and can repeat it again now. After fifteen years of negotiations we have finally agreed with our Ukrainian partners to separate the two issues of gas supplies to Ukraine itself and the transit of gas to Europe. It is to the honour of the Ukrainian leadership that President Yushchenko has taken this important step in the interests of his own country and in the interests of Europe. His decision deserves our full support. We will continue to work in just such a serious and responsible fashion with our partners in the future.
At the same time we see that supplies to European consumers are increasing with every passing year. Our contractual obligations will increase by 60 billion cubic metres of gas over the coming years and this will require additional energy supply routes to Europe. One such route is the North European Gas Pipeline that is under construction along the Baltic Sea bed.
Another route is via the south. Part of this project has already been completed. We have completed construction of the Blue Stream pipeline along the Black Sea bed that is capable of delivering 16 billion cubic metres of gas to Turkey a year. We are now looking with our Turkish partners at the possibilities for extending this pipeline system to southern Europe. Our partners in southern Europe Italy, Austria and some other countries, Greece, for example are interested in carrying out this project. We think that it would be entirely possible to involve Hungary in this work too. This would not only increase Hungarys energy security but would also give a new quality to Hungarys participation in European energy affairs.
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