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EU seeks gas supply return after deal on monitors
Source: Agencies |
January 9, 2009, Friday
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EUROPE sought a swift restoration of gas supplies today after striking a deal with Moscow on monitoring gas shipments via Ukraine that have been halted by a pricing dispute with Kiev.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed today that Russia had agreed that the monitors -- including representatives from the European Commission, Russia and Ukraine -- should be deployed to ensure the smooth flow of gas.
"Yesterday Putin and (Czech Prime Minister Mirek) Topolanek spoke and in the course of that discussion they came to a common view that a monitoring mission will be formed and despatched," the spokesman said.
Diplomats in Prague said the European monitors would be sent to Ukraine today to be deployed at the main metering stations for gas arriving from Russia.
The monitors agreement "should lead to the Russian supplies of gas to EU member states being restored," the Czech EU presidency said in a statement late today.
The apparent breakthrough came after talks between Topolanek, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Putin.
But Russian officials have said even once the monitors are in place, it could take many hours and possibly days before gas Russian gas shipped via Ukraine starts reaching Europe again.
The gas is likely to be delivered only to European customers, not Ukraine itself, since Moscow and Kiev have yet to agree a price for Russian gas, subsidised since Soviet times. Putin today again demanded Ukraine pay the going market rate.
But the presence of monitoring missions at points along the transit routes for Russian gas will reassure Moscow that the gas it is pumping across Ukraine to European customers is not being siphoned off by Kiev.
Moscow cited this allegation -- denied by Kiev -- as its reason for completely shutting off gas flowing across Ukraine to European customers earlier this week.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed today that Russia had agreed that the monitors -- including representatives from the European Commission, Russia and Ukraine -- should be deployed to ensure the smooth flow of gas.
"Yesterday Putin and (Czech Prime Minister Mirek) Topolanek spoke and in the course of that discussion they came to a common view that a monitoring mission will be formed and despatched," the spokesman said.
Diplomats in Prague said the European monitors would be sent to Ukraine today to be deployed at the main metering stations for gas arriving from Russia.
The monitors agreement "should lead to the Russian supplies of gas to EU member states being restored," the Czech EU presidency said in a statement late today.
The apparent breakthrough came after talks between Topolanek, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Putin.
But Russian officials have said even once the monitors are in place, it could take many hours and possibly days before gas Russian gas shipped via Ukraine starts reaching Europe again.
The gas is likely to be delivered only to European customers, not Ukraine itself, since Moscow and Kiev have yet to agree a price for Russian gas, subsidised since Soviet times. Putin today again demanded Ukraine pay the going market rate.
But the presence of monitoring missions at points along the transit routes for Russian gas will reassure Moscow that the gas it is pumping across Ukraine to European customers is not being siphoned off by Kiev.
Moscow cited this allegation -- denied by Kiev -- as its reason for completely shutting off gas flowing across Ukraine to European customers earlier this week.
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