In the ranking of countries in terms of the cheapness of gas for the population, Russia took second place. Kazakhstan is the leader.
To assess the cost of gas for the population, experts analyzed its prices in terms of rubles. The agency noted that the availability of gas for the end consumer is determined not only by its cost, but also by the level of income of citizens.
According to a study by RIA Novosti published on Monday, May 23, gas in Kazakhstan costs 4.1 rubles per cubic meter. The Russian cost is 6.7 rubles per cubic meter.
The third place in the rating went to Belarus, where gas is three rubles more expensive than in Russia, the 360 TV channel notes.
According to experts, in general, the cost of gas in Europe has increased in 2021. This is especially noticeable in Bulgaria, where the price of natural gas more than doubled, in Greece, where the growth was 95.9%, and also in Moldova, where the price of gas increased by 84.7%. According to Life.ru, analysts call the temperature factor one of the reasons for such jumps.
Meanwhile, the cost of gas in six countries has declined. This is most noticeable in Slovakia, where gas prices fell by 11.8%, the Czech Republic – by 5% and Belarus – by 2%.
The most expensive gas was in Sweden – 137 rubles per cubic meter in terms of rubles, writes NSN. More than 80 rubles are paid in Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the gasification program for Russian regions should be expanded so that it includes the maximum number of settlements and households, the website kp.ru recalls.
On May 22, columnist for the French newspaper Le Monde diplomatique Akram Belkaid expressed the opinion that in the long term there is no alternative to Russian natural gas suppliers in European countries.
As the author of the article notes, Norway, the Netherlands, Algeria and other exporters do not have the opportunity to meet the increased demand for blue fuel for a long time, they can only be considered as reserve sellers.
On May 20, Reuters sources reported that Germany and Italy told their companies that they could open accounts in rubles to buy Russian gas without violating anti-Russian sanctions. It was noted that this happened even before the May 12 Italian oil and gas company Eni announced its intention to continue buying Russian gas in May, even if payment is made in rubles. Eni’s management was reported to have approved the move following Gazprom’s announcement that the ruble payments would not violate EU sanctions.
The next day, the German Ministry of Economy confirmed that the country would be guided by the recommendations of the European Union in the issue of paying for Russian gas. Under the new regulation, circulated by the European Commission on May 14, European importers will be able to continue paying for Russian gas without violating the sanctions imposed on Moscow.
On May 19, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that about half of the 54 importers of Russian gas had already opened ruble accounts with Gazprombank to pay under the new scheme.