Tsipras in Russia for energy talks… far away from Brussels

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was in St. Petersburg on Thursday for talks on energy cooperation, particularly the country’s interest in extending the “Turkish stream” pipeline through the country, the so-called “Greek stream”.

Tsipras, far from the closely watched “Greek issue” deliberations in Brussels, met with Gazprom chief Alexey Miller, as well as representatives of BRICS countries, who want to create their own global development bank.

Western partners have taken a distinctly cool view of the proposed “Greek stream” project, which essentially still remains on the drawing board.

According to the Greek state-run news agency, BRICS representatives “expressed their intense interest in cooperating with Greece” — despite the specter of a Greek default that dominated news coverage around the world on Thursday.

Tsipras was accompanied, among others, by his virulently anti-capitalist and anti-west Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, who holds the energy portfolio.

Relations between the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party and Russia are cordial with the Greek PM being an outspoken critic of EU sanctions against Russia over its perceived mischief in eastern Ukraine. Last April, Tsipras had hoped to secure an exemption of Greek produce from Russia’s counter-sanctions against the EU.