The Greens politician on the military part of Berlin Brandenburg Airport on the way to the Bundeswehr’s flight readiness aircraft to fly to Qatar.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck does not yet see the gas supply in Germany being completely secured for the coming winter. The Greens politician said this on Saturday before a trip to Qatar on Deutschlandfunk. “This means that if we don’t get more gas by next winter and the supply connections from Russia are cut or broken off, we wouldn’t have enough gas to keep all houses warm and all industry running.”
At the same time, Habeck warned: “Well, gas is mainly used in industry at the beginning of the supply chain and then there is or can be a kind of domino effect.” just stupid.”
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Habeck left for Qatar on Saturday morning and will then travel on to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The trip is part of efforts to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian gas following Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
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Habeck was therefore already in Norway. Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). So far, however, the vast majority has gone to Asia. In the Emirates, the main focus is on green hydrogen.
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The world market for gas is tense, Habeck said on Deutschlandfunk. “The delivery quantities can of course be increased, but the supplying states have no interest in that at all.” They would have maximum profits, the prices are high with the same production costs. “In this respect, you do encounter some resistance.” However, this can be overcome, for example, with longer terms of supply contracts.
Habeck believes in “good solution for Europe”
Immediately before departure, Habeck was also confident about short-term contracts and deliveries. The hunger for gas is so great “that a good solution will certainly be found for Europe,” said Habeck in Berlin. The human rights situation in Qatar has been the focus of international attention, especially since the 2022 World Cup was awarded.
When asked if he would give the go-ahead for possible arms purchases and the resulting exports to Ukraine, Habeck said: “Yes, of course.” Otherwise none of it makes any sense. “Where is the difference, now the material difference, whether the federal government supplies weapons from Bundeswehr stocks or Germany allows weapons from other stocks to be supplied?”
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Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) said in the “Interview of the Week” on Deutschlandfunk that the possibilities for arms delivery via the Bundeswehr were exhausted. “And we are exploring what other options there are.”
However, if weapons are purchased from German companies for delivery to Ukraine, it is “not a route that goes through the Ministry of Defense, but rather a route that goes through the Ministry of Economic Affairs, because then we are talking about arms exports.”
More: Habeck’s difficult search for new sources of supply for natural gas, oil and hard coal