Brussels, 27/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Tuesday 26 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to resume talks over gas supplies. Russia turned off the gas tap to Ukraine in June over unpaid debts and disagreements over prices.
European Commissioner for Energy Günther H. Oettinger, said: “We have agreed to continue formal bilateral contact and we will be in Moscow on Friday to prepare for the forthcoming trilateral consultations between the Russian Federation/Gazprom and Ukraine/Naftogaz, with the EU to act as moderator in this important process”. The energy ministers of Russia and Ukraine will meet on 6 September, together with Commissioner Oettinger.
The commissioner added: “Our aim was and is to avoid any problems in the coming months related to the security of supply: we aim to guarantee gas supplies to everybody in the EU, the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova. We must now do something, and my proposal was to reach an interim solution”. He also stressed the need to agree on an “interim price”.
The commissioner went on to say that there had been a “constructive atmosphere” at the meeting in Minsk. He said that he had certainly noted a “joint impetus” ahead of the forthcoming trilateral.
Kiev claims Russia plans to block gas transit this winter
Russia plans to cease supplying gas to the member states of the European Union this winter, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on Wednesday 27 August, following the meeting the day before between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents in Minsk. (LC)