MOSCOW, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia's state gas
monopoly Gazprom said it would resume supplies to Europe via Ukraine on Friday
if an agreement allowing a EU-led monitoring team to track gas flows through
Ukraine was signed.
"We hope that a protocol on establishing an
international independent mechanism to ensure transit of Russian gas via Ukraine
will be signed today, and we will resume deliveries almost at once," Gazprom CEO
Alexei Miller told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting in the Black
Sea resort of Sochi.
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R)
speaks with Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller in Krasnaya Polyana,
near Sochi, January 9, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Medvedev
said gas supplies to Ukraine would be resumed only after the necessary documents
were signed.
"Of course we are interested in gas transit
resumption as soon as possible. But... all these actions can be performed only
after the documents are signed," he was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as
saying.
Shortly after the meeting, Miller told reporters that
Kiev had agreed to allow Russian energy officials into Ukraine, removing a key
obstacle to a document on restoring gas deliveries to Europe.
A pressure gauge is seen at a Ukrainian
gas compressor station in the village of Boyarka near Kiev January 9,
2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"Ukraine...
accepted the proposal to create an international multilateral monitoring
commission comprising representatives of Gazprom, Naftogaz (Ukraine's state gas
company), Russian and Ukrainian energy ministries, European companies receiving
Russian gas and an independent monitoring organization," Miller said.
"We hope now work will go in a fast and constructive
way, and the Ukrainian side will stick to agreements reached verbally," he said.
Miller said earlier that Gazprom was ready to resume
gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine once international monitors were in place. A
group of EU monitors arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Friday.
Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine on Jan. 1 over a
pricing dispute, and shut down gas flows intended for Europe via Ukraine on
Wednesday.
The cutoff left thousands of European families
without heating at the height of winter, prompting the EU to broker a deal to
end the row.
The EU depends on Russia for one-fourth of its gas
supply, the bulk which comes via Ukraine.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on
Friday demanded that Russia and Ukraine immediately resume gas deliveries to the
bloc's member states, saying that EU monitors for the process were already in
place.
"There is now agreement on the details of the monitoring
mission. It is now imperative that the gas starts to flow to the EU without any
further delay," the European Commission said in a statement. Full story
BRUSSELS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) reached a deal with Russia on the deployment of monitors to check gas flow via Ukraine, paving the way for the resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, the Czech EU presidency said late Thursday. "The Czech Prime Minister and the Russian Prime Minister agreed on the conditions of deployment of the monitoring commission at all locations that are relevant for the flow of gas," the Czech government said in a statement. Full story
MOSCOW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russia will charge Ukraine full market price for natural gas and is prepared to pay a market rate for gas transit via Ukraine, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
"We believe Ukraine must pay a market price and we are ready to pay a market-based fee for gas transit," Putin told journalists at his residence outside Moscow. Full story
BRUSSELS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) held emergency talks here Thursday with Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and Ukraine's state-run gas company Naftogaz in a bid to solve the pricing dispute between the two neighbors, which has created a supply crisis in some EU nations.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Naftogaz head Oleg Dubyna separately. But there was no immediate information about the outcome of the talks. Full story
PARIS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillonon Wednesday described the cut of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine as "totally unacceptable," saying that the move has caused the shortage of gas supplies in Europe.
"The Prime Minister believes the current situation represents a challenge for all of Europe ... The non-observance of contracts signed is totally unacceptable," said a statement issued by the PM's office after a meeting on gas supplies in France. Full story
BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russia cut off all natural gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine Wednesday, which has greatly affected gas supplies to Europe.
Russia is the world's largest natural gas producer and exporter. A major consumer of Russian gas, Europe imports one fourth of its gas needs from Russia. Russia has built a number of pipelines delivering gas produced in Siberia and Central Asia to Europe. Full story
PRAGUE, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The current dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas supply is not a European affair, but an economic issue between Russia and Ukraine, Czech President Vaclav Klaus said on Wednesday.
Klaus, whose country is holding the rotating European Union (EU) presidency, made the comments at a meeting with visiting members of the European Commission. Full story
