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Cooperation with Russia in major energy projects should go on - British official
Interfax

Moscow, 29 July: Stephen Dalziel, executive director of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce, believes that dismissing foreign specialists from the Sakhalin-2 and Kovykta projects would be short-sighted of the Russian side.

Answering the question by Interfax news agency whether the British companies could finally leave the two projects due to worsening Russian-British relations, Dalziel said: "I do not think so, too much has been done and the interests are too big. These are very large projects. The Russian side does indeed need experts' help in their implementation".

"Dismissing foreign experts totally from the projects would be very silly of the Russian side. It is a fact that Russia does not have sufficient knowledge or equipment. They need help," Dalziel said in his interview to Interfax.

"What inspires me on the Kremlin's part is that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian authorities are on the whole very pragmatic. Obviously, Putin puts Russia's interests first. This is only natural, this is the way it should be. He also understands that he must defend these interests in everything. Simply terminating relations and sending foreign companies out would be extremely unwise," Dalziel said.

Commenting on certain observers' opinion that the current crisis between Moscow and London only stems from the Litvinenko case, and is in fact a delayed reaction to the forced sale to Gazprom of the British shares in the Sakhalin-2 and Kovykta projects, Dalziel said: "There is no direct link here, but all this together did spoil the relations. If it were not for the situation around Sakhalin-2 and Kovykta, both sides could have dealt with the Litvinenko case differently, in a more tactful and diplomatic manner".

In his opinion, the British side was too fast to take steps, to expel (Russian) diplomats, in particular. "Perhaps there was a feeling that Russia was behaving too aggressively and a response was due," he said.

He said that "what is needed now is a break". "August is the time when everyone takes a break. Let them have a rest, think it over and come back to "the negotiations' table" in September. The most important thing is to negotiate behind the scenes, not in front of everyone and not in press," Dalziel said.

The full text of the interview is published on www.interfax.ru.