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No breakthrough in gas spat
Source: Agencies |
January 9, 2009, Friday
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THE heads of Russian and Ukrainian gas companies held an unexpected meeting in Moscow early yesterday to discuss the dispute that has caused an energy crisis in Europe, but both sides said no breakthrough was reached as they flew on to Brussels to meet with the European Commission.
Natural gas supplies from Russia through Ukraine to Europe remained cutoff for a third day, leaving several countries scrambling to secure alternative energy sources to cope with a cold snap.
The meeting between OAO Gazprom's Alexei Miller and Naftogaz of Ukraine's Oleh Dubina was their first since negotiations broke down on New Year's Eve over prices for 2009 and Ukraine's debt. A Naftogaz spokesman said Dubina and Miller may return to Moscow from Brussels to continue talks.
"So far no compromise has been reached," spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said.
Gazprom stopped all gas shipments to Ukraine on January 1 but kept supplies flowing to Europe through Ukraine's pipelines until Wednesday, when all deliveries stopped.
The cutoff has left more than a dozen countries struggling to cope in the depths of winter. Factories shut down in eastern Europe, schools closed and tens of thousands of people scrambled to find other ways of keeping warm.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has pressed the prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine for a quick resolution to the standoff.
"If this matter is not solved, it will raise very serious doubts about the reliability of Russia as a supplier of gas to Europe and Ukraine as a transit country," he said on Wednesday.
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey all reported a halt in Russian gas shipments by Wednesday. Germany and Poland reported substantial drops in supplies.
Barroso said Ukraine and Russia both agreed to accept international monitors that could verify the flow of gas, a concession from Ukraine that would meet one of Russia's conditions for resuming gas supplies. Russia has accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas.
Russia is also demanding that Ukraine pay significantly more for its gas. Last year, Russia charged Ukraine US$179.50 per 1,000 cubic meters, about half what it charged its European customers.
Russia's last offer before talks broke down was US$250, but President Dmitry Medvedev said late Wednesday that Moscow would now insist that Kiev pay European prices "without a discount."
Natural gas supplies from Russia through Ukraine to Europe remained cutoff for a third day, leaving several countries scrambling to secure alternative energy sources to cope with a cold snap.
The meeting between OAO Gazprom's Alexei Miller and Naftogaz of Ukraine's Oleh Dubina was their first since negotiations broke down on New Year's Eve over prices for 2009 and Ukraine's debt. A Naftogaz spokesman said Dubina and Miller may return to Moscow from Brussels to continue talks.
"So far no compromise has been reached," spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said.
Gazprom stopped all gas shipments to Ukraine on January 1 but kept supplies flowing to Europe through Ukraine's pipelines until Wednesday, when all deliveries stopped.
The cutoff has left more than a dozen countries struggling to cope in the depths of winter. Factories shut down in eastern Europe, schools closed and tens of thousands of people scrambled to find other ways of keeping warm.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has pressed the prime ministers of Russia and Ukraine for a quick resolution to the standoff.
"If this matter is not solved, it will raise very serious doubts about the reliability of Russia as a supplier of gas to Europe and Ukraine as a transit country," he said on Wednesday.
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey all reported a halt in Russian gas shipments by Wednesday. Germany and Poland reported substantial drops in supplies.
Barroso said Ukraine and Russia both agreed to accept international monitors that could verify the flow of gas, a concession from Ukraine that would meet one of Russia's conditions for resuming gas supplies. Russia has accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas.
Russia is also demanding that Ukraine pay significantly more for its gas. Last year, Russia charged Ukraine US$179.50 per 1,000 cubic meters, about half what it charged its European customers.
Russia's last offer before talks broke down was US$250, but President Dmitry Medvedev said late Wednesday that Moscow would now insist that Kiev pay European prices "without a discount."
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