Moscow to Take Decision on Schlumberger’s Bid for Eurasia Drilling in 2-3 Weeks, Says Official
Russian authorities said that Moscow will take a decision on Schlumberger’s bid for Eurasia Drilling in two to three weeks.
In 2014, the Texas-headquarter company reported revenues of $48bn (£30bn) and operations in 85 countries. With the takeover, the company would enlarge its portfolio.
Federal Antimonopoly Service’s Dmitry Makhonin told Reuters that the Russian agency had no objections to the deal from a competition point of view, but explained that the government will be responsible for taking the final decision, showing once more that the oil and gas industry have a strong political component.
Meanwhile, Washington, Brussels and Moscow continue in their quarrel. Over the past month, the Balkans have been a battlefield. Russia’s Sputnik wrote on Thursday that if the TAP pipeline succeeds, the US will increase control over Europe’s energy needs, as Azerbaijan strongly cooperate with NATO. The Russian newspaper argues that the situation is also related to Macedonia.
‘The unrest in Macedonia gives the US a chance to stage a coup and establish a pro-Western government in Macedonia, whose Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski maintains friendly relations with Russia and supports the construction of the Turkish Stream pipeline’ the media outlet wrote on Thursday.
European countries are openly taking the American side, rejecting mainstream Russian narratives.
“I consider today’s statement by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered before the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and concerning a possible partitioning of the Republic of Macedonia between Albania and Bulgaria extremely irresponsible” Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Mitov commented on Wednesday.
Fresh evidences will come from Serbia - Belgrade continue walking a tightrope, carefully trying to avoid clashes with Moscow or with Brussels.
‘Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said today that fire and rescue vehicles donated by the Russian Federation to the units of the Serbian Interior Ministry are a symbol of good political and economic relations between the two countries that Serbian people appreciates’ reads a first note released by the Serbian government.
On Wednesday, Vucic said that his country is doing its best to stay firmly on EU path.