German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Visit Netherlands
German PM Olaf Scholz will arrive in the Netherlands today to hold talks with Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte.
The two leaders will likely discuss new collective measures against Russian aggression amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as well as the future of the European energy market. The Netherlands has been one of the top-suppliers of natural gas for Berlin since the invasion began—which resulted in a significant reduction of gas transits from Ukraine. Here, Netherlands plays a key role in Berlin’s gas emergency plan which was announced in late March due to future uncertainty in the supply chain.
Alternative gas supplies remain a top priority moving forward, as Berlin will abandon its existing gas deals with Russia—most notably the Nord Stream 2. During the short to medium term, Berlin is preparing to offer a joint-exploration program to the Netherlands in the North Sea—a region that is rich in natural gas—aiming to secure the extraction of its own gas rather than rely heavily on the Dutch for supply. This prospective plan may be insufficient for Berlin’s demand for domestic gas consumption which will push German policy makers to search for additional partners—such as Qatar—to diversify its energy supply chain in the long-term.
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