BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/08/2007

EU concerned over gas dispute between Russia, Belarus

The European Union (EU) is watching nervously the gas dispute between Russia and Belarus and will call a meeting of stakeholders next week to review the natural gas supply situation.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, said on Thursday that it intends to call a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group, which is composed of representatives of EU member states, industry bodies and the relevant consumers.

On Wednesday, the commission activated the EU's early warning mechanism for energy security -- the Network of Energy Security Correspondents (NESCO) -- to monitor the gas dispute and its possible eventual impact on the flow of gas to the EU.

NESCO consists of representatives of the European Commission, EU member states and the Secretariat of the decision-making EU Council.

The commission is also in contact with Russian gas giant Gazprom and the authorities from Belarus.

Gazprom on Wednesday warned that it would reduce gas supplies to Belarus by Friday unless the latter pays its outstanding debt.

The commission expressed serious concern over the new dispute and called on both sides to find a swift settlement. It asked them "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."

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6230685.html

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