France-Russie : Mistral, certes, mais aussi NorthStream

France-Russie : Mistral, certes, mais aussi NorthStream

Pour compléter le F&C de ce même 2 mars 2010, un article de EUObserver (le 2 mars 2010) qui nous rappelle que le voyage de Medvedev est aussi l’occasion pour GDF d’acheter une part importante dans le projet de gazoduc NorthStream, d’inspiration russe.

Pour EUObserver, ces deux grands marchés (Mistral et NorthStream) constituent une véritable alliance stratégique en train d’être établie entre la France et la Russie. Sans nier une seconde l’importance de NorthStream, il est évident que notre intérêt va évidemment, d’abord, au Mistral, pour l’incontestable dimension sécurité de l’événement. Il est important de voir combien ces marchés sont perçus comme une alliance franco-russe, – là, avec une dimension de grande politique incontestable.

«French firm GDF Suez is to buy a share in Russia's Nord Stream gas pipeline, with talks on the sale of four state-of-the-art French warships to Russia also gathering pace. Progress on the two deals was announced on Monday (1 March) during a three-day visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Paris.

»The agreement between GDF Suez and Gazprom, the majority shareholder in Nord Stream, is to see the French firm take a nine percent stake in the pipeline and Russia to increase gas deliveries to France by 1.5 billion cubic metres a year from 2015. “By entering into Nord Stream and increasing its gas purchase from Russia, GDF Suez aims at contributing to the security of supply of Europe,” the French company's CEO, Gerard Mestrallet, said in a statement. The energy pact was signed in the presence of the French and Russian leaders at a press event in the Elysee Palace.

»French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the same time confirmed that France is in “exclusive talks” to sell four Mistral-class amphibious assault ships to Russia. Two of the vessels are to be built in France and two in Russia and will be sold without their weapons systems.

»“How can we say to our Russian partners we need you for peace, we need you to resolve a number of crises in the world, particularly the Iranian crisis ... but we don't trust you, we can't work with you on Mistral?” Mr Sarkozy said at the press event. “We wish to put the Cold War behind us. The time has come to turn the page and look to a new era.’

»Mr Medvedev called the defence deal “a symbol of trust between our two countries.”»

dedefensa.org