To reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Germany signed a long-term energy agreement with Qatar on Sunday.
The deal was struck during a visit to Doha by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who is seeking to diversify Germany’s energy supply.
Qatar is one of the world’s three largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), an energy prized by European countries seeking an alternative to Russian gas since the invasion of Ukraine.
It was becoming urgent for Germany to find new suppliers, as half of its gas imports come from Russia. “If we don’t get more gas by next winter and if deliveries from Russia are cut off, then we wouldn’t have enough gas to heat all the houses and run all the industries,” said the environmental minister.
no embargo
Robert Habeck’s trip to the Middle East will continue in the United Arab Emirates. The one who is also climate minister had already visited this week in Norway, another major gas producer, as well as in the United States at the beginning of the month.
Germany is criticized for its opposition to an immediate embargo on Russian hydrocarbons, such as that decided by the United States to dry up financial flows to Moscow. For Berlin, such a boycott would destabilize the German economy by causing soaring energy prices and the risk of shortages.
