US Elbowing Gazprom Out of Bid for Greek Energy Firms

Gazprom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Voice of Russia - The US has been piling up pressure on Athens to bar Russia’s Gazprom and Sintez energy giants from bidding for Greece’s state-run DEPA gas major and its fully owned subsidiary DESFA, the Greek gas transportation systems.

This came in an announcement by Capital.gr business news website that cited Greece’s political and business figures. According to the news portal, a mouthpiece for the US Department of State voiced the White House’s displeasure at Gazprom and Sintez’s bid to acquire the Greek energy company, which it claimed would render Athens “a hostage of Moscow’s” and allow Russia to manipulate the market’s gas pricing.

Russia supplies more than 80 percent of Greece's gas. Speaking about the “American veto,” Capital.gr cited Greek media who said that Russia’s offer looked much more lucrative than those coming from Azerbaijan and even local bidders.