Brussels, 31/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - Athens welcomed Russia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger in quick succession this week.
The period of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers during the first six months of 2014 is set to coincide with the results - possibly in the spring - of the European Commission's investigation into Russian gas giant Gazprom. Gazprom is suspected of anti-competitive practices and price manipulation in several countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The Commission announced at the start of October that it had moved to the phase of communicating its grievances. In mid-September, Oettinger announced that the results would be made known in spring.
This issue was the focus of discussions between Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Lavrov during Lavrov's visit to Athens on 30 October. Moscow wanted to explain its position on the issue during Lavrov's visit, stated Italian news agency ANSA on 30 October.
As well as the energy priorities of the next Greek Presidency, the Gazprom issue was also on Oettinger's agenda for his visit to Athens on 31 October and 1 November. In addition to Samaras, Oettinger was due to meet Greece's Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Giannis Maniatis to discuss the opening of energy markets, the privatisation of Greek public companies - PPC for electricity and DEPA for gas, and developments in hydrocarbons - with the Greek coast being the theatre for exploratory research in the Ionian Sea and to the south of Crete. (EH/transl.fl)