On Monday, October 20th, the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center hosted a public event Russia’s Energy Relations with the West: The Energy Charter Perspective featuring Ambassador Urban Rusnák, Secretary-General of the Energy Charter Secretariat. Ambassador John Herbst, Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, welcomed the audience. The event was introduced by Marat Terterov, Executive Director of the Brussels Energy Club, and the discussion was moderated by David Koranyi, Deputy Director of the Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center.
Ambassador Urban Rusnák discussed the ruling by the arbitration tribunal ordering Russia to pay fifty billion dollars to former shareholders of Yukos. Ambassador Rusnák said he would not be surprised if Russia and the former Yukos shareholders work toward a settlement. David Koranyi voiced doubt that Putin’s government would retreat from what was “a political decision” to dismantle Yukos by negotiating a settlement with its former owners. Marat Terterov called 2014 a ‘testing year’ in terms of Russia’s relations with the West since the early 1980s. The topic of the risks of energy shortages in Europe this winter amid the Ukrainian-Russian dispute was also discussed at the event.
The event was co-hosted by the Brussels Energy Club and the Energy Charter Secretariat.