The German authorities’ attempt to secure gas from Qatar instead of obtaining fuel from Russia did not come to fruition, and now Qatar supplies gas to Europe with Italy being a significant recipient. This summary reflects coverage from the German edition Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten. The report notes a visit by Germany’s Economy Minister to the Middle East in search of an alternative to Russian gas and mentions a meeting with Qatar’s leadership in March, where Doha was described as ready to bolster energy shipments to Berlin.
At present, however, Qatar has not begun supplying gas to Germany. Representatives accompanying the minister on his trip have not yet finalized any gas supply contracts with Doha. The piece emphasizes that Russia, by comparison, delivers only about one-fifth of its former volume via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, intensifying Germany’s energy crisis, according to the material. (Source: Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
DWN also reports that the minister voiced frustration over Qatar’s reluctance to make a strong offer. It quotes him as saying Doha had agreed to an energy partnership in May but without setting volumes, while Qatar favored long-term contracts and German firms appeared to be leaning toward renewable energy in the longer term. (Source: Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
Gas supply to Italy
Meanwhile, the Italian energy company Eni is reported to be making progress in renewing roughly 20 bcm of natural gas that Russia previously supplied to Italy each year. The article notes that after earlier contracts with partners in Algeria, Congo, and Egypt, Eni joined the North Field East project in Qatar in June, a component of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas initiative. Descalzi, Eni’s CEO, spoke of these developments in confirming the company’s role in expanding LNG supply. (Source: Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
As with other European nations, Italy has pursued diversification of its gas sources amid sanctions on Russia. Former Prime Minister Mario Draghi was cited as saying Italy’s dependence on Russian gas would fall from 40% to 25% of annual imports. The report notes that unlike Germany, Italy has had longer-standing cooperation with Qatar and has emerged as a leading LNG importer from that country. In the event of a crisis, Berlin’s government is described as emphasizing energy conservation measures. (Source: Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
Reduce dependence on Russian gas
On another front, Spanish authorities have signaled that a pipeline from the Iberian Peninsula could help Europe reduce reliance on Russian gas and may become operational within months. Spain has six LNG terminals capable of processing maritime gas, a factor cited as potentially increasing EU imports. Madrid has expressed interest in reviving a pipeline project connecting the Catalan Pyrenees to France, a plan comparable to the MidCat project which faced environmental opposition and stalled in 2019. (Source: Financial Times; Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
“Double benefit for Russia”
Against this backdrop, a columnist for the French edition Agoravox, Kalman Shnur, reflected on European sanctions against the Russian Federation. He recalls Bruno Le Maire’s early March statements in which the finance minister described the sanctions as “terribly effective” and predicted a broad economic clash with Russia. The journalist notes that the ruble has strengthened since then, following Moscow’s decision to shift gas payments to the ruble. The columnist remarks that the stance of Europe seems to resemble imposing anti-Russian measures on itself. (Source: Agoravox; Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)
Additionally, the piece notes that among the major July events, sanctions on Russia and the withdrawal of Western companies were reported by only about 2% of respondents in sociological surveys. The same surveys indicated concerns about rising prices and dollar depreciation. (Source: Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten)