Yazev, Valery A.

Rede auf der 46. Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz - 07.02.2010

Dear Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Overall global security today is closely linked with the availability of fossil hydrocarbons, especially oil and natural gas.  Energy security challenges include the problem of uneven distribution of oil and gas fields across the planet, and the problem of uneven levels of consumption of energy sources in different countries.  International security depends on the balance of the international system of raw material supplies.  This balance must be governed by common international regulations and a common energy strategy.  Therefore, we must answer the following question: 

What shall be the principles of legal documents underlying the process of international cooperation and general strategic goal-setting in the energy sector?

Yet another question is: 

Which new basic fuel must take a considerable share in the world energy sector in addition to oil, gas, and coal? 

This is related not so much to the irreversible decrease in the stock of non-renewable energy sources as to the need to provide long-term reliable supplies of energy resources in all countries of the world without undue interference into the environment.  Despite the leading role of oil and gas in the international energy balance of developed countries, the share of nuclear power based on the closed cycle process can be increased.  Thirty years ago forecasts had been made that nuclear power stations would produce 55% of all electrical energy worldwide.  Today this figure stands at just 14%.

After we answer the two questions posed above we can’t avoid posing the third question:

Is there a limit to how much energy the human civilization can use up, and are there any ways to limit the growth of energy consumption without adversely affecting the quality of life? 

No definite answer can yet be given, but quite obviously in the first half of this century we will have to increase radically the efficiency of energy consumption in every sphere of human activity, and introduce large-scale initiatives regarding the energy potential of renewable sources of energy.

These are the three questions that Russia seeks to answer by taking concrete steps as befit the leading producer and exporter of energy sources and the country with large deposits of natural resources.  We offer increased supplies, diversified routes and means of delivery of energy sources to consumers.  We oppose using the energy sector as the instrument of political blackmail by either suppliers or consumers.

Russia has a well-developed nuclear energy sector which uses closed cycle nuclear fuel technology.  We have been cooperating actively with other countries in this sphere.

Russia also has a considerable energy-saving potential.  Since the beginning of this century energy consumption of the Russian economy has decreased annually by about 4%.  By 2020 the energy intensity of the gross national product must decrease by 40% as compared to 2007.  Russia has also developed a great potential for expanding the share of renewable energy in the economy.  The share of hydro-electric power stations in the Russian economy currently stands at 21%.  The Energy Strategy Through 2030 currently provides for expanding the use of other kinds of renewable sources of energy.

Russia has been adhering strictly to current international economic regulations and all international agreements in its efforts to follow all international legal frameworks and assure reliability of energy supplies.  Our further steps will follow the Conceptual Approach to New Legal Frameworks of International Cooperation in the Energy Sector, recently presented by President Dmitry Medvedev.

In the discussion at this meeting we will, I want to hope, advance toward finding answers to the above questions, and yet another most important issue we must become aware of: 

Is the international community ready to come together to achieve positive change in developing the worldwide energy strategy? 

We in Russia are ready to face this challenge, and we know well that if we do not solve the economic problems with raw material supplies well in advance, economic factors will turn political, which are incomparably harder to solve.

Es gilt das gesprochene Wort!