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Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute Affects Supplies To Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey |
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Tuesday, 6 January 2009Supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine to Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey have stopped flowing because of a dispute between Moscow and Kyiv over gas prices, officials in Sofia said.
Russia on January 5 ordered a reduction in gas flow to Europe via Ukraine, a measure it said was to stop its neighbor stealing fuel and which Ukraine said would jeopardize supplies to Europe as it faces freezing temperatures.
The gas row has raised new questions about Russia's reliability as an energy supplier and rekindled Western suspicions -- still fresh after Russia's war with Georgia last year -- that the Kremlin bullies its pro-Western neighbors.
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom cut all supplies for Ukraine's domestic use on New Year's Day in a row over gas prices -- creating a knock-on effect for Europe, which receives one-fifth of its gas from pipelines through Ukraine.
"As of 3:30 a.m. (0130 GMT), supplies...to Bulgaria, as well as the transit to Turkey, Greece, and Macedonia, have been suspended," Bulgaria's Economy Ministry said in a statement. "We are in a crisis situation."
There was no immediate confirmation from Turkey, Greece, or Macedonia of a halt in supplies. Turkey has an alternative route for importing Russian gas, under the Black Sea.
Southeast Europe and the Balkans receive their Russian gas from a pipeline which passes from Ukraine via Bulgaria, so officials in Sofia are likely to be the first to see signs of a cut-off.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian state energy Naftogaz firm said Russia had cut gas supply via Ukraine to Europe to about one-third of its normal flow. "This means that in a few hours Europe will face a problem with gas supplies," said a Naftogaz spokesman.
Meanwhile, Russian gas supplies to Romania were reduced by 75 percent from contracted levels as a result of the price dispute, state-controlled Transgaz pipeline operator said on January 6.
The European Union has called for the immediate resumption of gas supplies to Europe, urging Russia and Ukraine to resume settlement talks immediately.
"Without prior warning and in clear contradiction with the reassurances given by the highest Russian and Ukrainian authorities to the European Union, gas supplies to some EU member states have been substantially cut," the EU said in a statement.
"The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission demand that gas supplies be restored immediately to the EU and that the two parties resume negotiations at once with a view to a definitive settlement of their bilateral commercial dispute," the Presidency and the Commission said in a joint statement.
Had No Choice
Gazprom said it had no choice but to reduce supplies to Europe via Ukraine because Kyiv was siphoning off gas intended for transit. It said it would boost supplies through other routes to compensate.
A delegation from the European Union was to meet Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on January 6, and fact-finding talks were also planned for January 6 between EU officials and Gazprom, though the venue had not yet been confirmed.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on January 5 he had appealed to Putin and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko not to let their dispute affect Europe's gas supplies.
"I hope that the matter will be resolved, as the reality is that if it is not then it may create problems for European countries who are not responsible for the situation," he said.
Russia has clashed repeatedly with Ukraine's pro-Western leaders over their ambition to join the NATO alliance. Gazprom denies any political motive in the row and says it is purely about Kyiv's refusal to pay a fair price for its gas. |
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
RFE/RL
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