Netherlands Continues Behind-The-Scenes Gas Talks With Russia Despite MH17 Crash - Reports

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published March 23, 2021 | 05:40 PM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2021) The Netherlands has continued talks with Russia on gas imports in secret despite the diplomatic and trade relations between the countries being frozen since 2014 following the crash of the MH17 flight over Ukraine, the Dutch Follow The Money (FTM) investigative website reported on Tuesday.

In 2014, following the disaster that claimed the lives of 298 people, the majority of whom were Dutch nationals, the Netherlands, which believes that MH17 was brought down by a missile system that belonged to a Russian air defense missile brigade based near the city of Kursk, ceased its annual consultations on joint economic interests with Russia. This, in turn, led to the termination of regular government consultations on energy projects. Russia has repeatedly denied having a role in the disaster.

Nevertheless, the business community revived contacts between the two countries in 2017 through their joint Working Group on Energy � a platform for ministerial meetings, established in the early 1990s, which are held every 18 to 24 months to discuss current economic issues � by organizing congresses and mutual visits, the website reported, citing Russian documents that prove these contacts.

According to the website, the working group still continues to operate, with the third meeting over the past four years being scheduled for this spring. The Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project has become a permanent item on the agenda, as the companies that re-established cooperation are also participating in the project, viewed by Germany and the Netherlands as a great opportunity to secure their energy supply.

At the same time, the Dutch parliament was not informed that the ties were resumed, the FTM noted, adding that during a briefing in December 2019, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, commenting on contacts with Russia, did not mention this official group, which was scheduled to meet in Moscow a few weeks later.