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Last chance for Moscow, Kiev to show they are serious: EU
2009-01-16
BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Commission warned on Friday that it would be forced to review relations with Russia and Ukraine if they did not renew the flow of gas to Europe over the weekend. If there is no resolution then "as from next week we will have to look point by point at our relations with Ukraine and Russia, and assess in each case whether we can continue with business as usual," EU Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger told reporters in Brussels. "The commission believes that the meetings in the coming days offer the last and best chance for Russia and Ukraine to demonstrate that they are serious about resolving this dispute," he warned. "The gas must flow and we will regard this... as a test case for judging whether or not they are credible partners." A payments row between Moscow and Kiev has led to Russian natural gas flows through Ukraine to Europe being halted for over a week. With gas stocks running low in many European countries, there have been frantic diplomatic efforts to resolve the impasse and find alternatives such as imports from countries like Algeria and Norway. Gas-fired central heating has been rationed or cut off for millions of people in central Europe and the Balkans and supplies slashed to industry in a crisis that has already cost EU states hundreds of millions of dollars (euros). Russia cut off supplies to Ukraine's domestic market on New Year's Day in a payment and prices dispute and then halted deliveries to Europe via Ukraine on January 7, saying it was forced to do so because Kiev was stealing the gas. Ukraine has denied the charge and accuses Russia of provoking the crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday urged European leaders to attend a summit meeting in Moscow on Saturday dedicated to the gas crisis with Ukraine. Demonstrating impatience with the lukewarm European response to the Russian plans, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said European Union states should "show their famous solidarity" and pressure Ukraine. So far no major European country has said its top leadership will attend, with France notably saying that gas supplies should be restored before such a meeting can be contemplated. Laitenberger saud all 27 EU nations had agreed instead to send Czech Industry Minister Martin Riman, whose country holds the EU presidency, and European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to the Moscow talks as long as Ukraine is represented, stressing there must be "meaningful discussions between Russia and Ukraine on the issue of transit (of gas) to Europe". Slovak and Moldovan leaders were to hold talks Friday with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on the spiralling energy crisis Friday, Kiev said. To help restore the gas flow, Russia on Thursday proposed that European gas companies create a consortium to advance Kiev the money for the "technical gas" required by Ukraine to reestablish the pipeline transit route The commission indicated it was open to the idea, while stressing that any solution must be acceptable to all partners.
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 Russia, Ukraine to sign gas deal, end standoff (2009-01-19) | | New Russia, Ukraine gas accord leaves Europe dubious (2009-01-18) | | Russia, Ukraine clinch deal to resume Europe gas supplies (2009-01-17) | | Russia, EU, Ukraine set for gas talks (2009-01-16) | | Russian gas cutoff energizes nuclear comeback (2009-01-16) |  Last chance for Moscow, Kiev to show they are serious: EU (2009-01-16) | | Russia-Ukraine gas war deadlock (2009-01-15) | | Crisis deepens as Russia-Ukraine gas deal unravels (2009-01-14) | | Russia and Ukraine may meet over gas dispute (2009-01-14) | | Ukraine leader accuses Russia of 'blackmail' over crisis (2009-01-13) | | Russia, Ukraine trade blame as Europe sees no gas (2009-01-13) | | Russia to restart gas pumps to Europe on Tuesday (2009-01-12) | | Russia set to resume European gas supplies after deal (2009-01-11) | | EU monitors deploy to end Russian gas deadlock (2009-01-11) | | Russia and EU sign deal on gas transit via Ukraine (2009-01-10) | | Putin warns Europe gas crisis "worsening" (2009-01-10) | | Gazprom may resume gas shipments to Europe today (2009-01-09) | | EU leader to meet Putin amid efforts to resolve gas dispute (2009-01-09) | | Russia to pump gas to Europe if monitors are there (2009-01-08) | | Russia, Ukraine in EU talks as gas crisis engulfs Europe (2009-01-08) | | Thaw in the air as Russia-Ukraine gas crisis talks begin in Brussels (2009-01-08) | | Halt in Russian gas supplies to Europe deepens crisis (2009-01-07) | | EU: Russia, Ukraine accept monitors in gas dispute (2009-01-07) | | Gas shortages spread as Russian-Ukraine row flares (2009-01-06) | | Natural gas shortages slam many European nations (2009-01-06) |
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