BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

02/08/2007

EU wants Russia, Belarus to guarantee stability of gas supplies

BRUSSELS. Aug 2 (Interfax) - The European Commission has called on Russia and Belarus to quickly regulate their ongoing gas dispute and to guarantee the stable supply of gas to Europe.

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom announced on Wednesday that it would cut its gas exports to Belarus by 45% with effect from Friday due to Belarus' $456-million gas payment arrears.

"The Commission believes that a safe and undisturbed supply of energy is of key importance for Europe's economy," the EC said in a statement. "Energy supply disputes in the EU's direct neighborhood are therefore of serious concern to the European Commission," the statement says.

"The Commission calls on both sides of the dispute to find swiftly an amicable settlement, to respect contractual obligations, to react in proportionate manner to disagreements and in any event not to disturb, neither directly nor indirectly, the gas supply to EU Member States," the statement says.

The EC is calling a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group, a consultative body, in response to the dispute.

It also activated on Wednesday the EU Network of Energy Security Correspondents (NESCO), a body whose members are the EC, EU countries and the EU Secretariat, and is in close contact with Gazprom and the Belarusian government.

The reduction threatened by Gazprom would mean a daily cut of 21 million cubic meters in Russian gas exports to Europe. This is a mere 6% of Russian gas exports to countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States but exceeds the daily imports of Poland and Lithuania, which receive gas via Belarus.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/299055/news.aspx