Russia is a reliable gas supplier of Europe, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, dismissing claims by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk that Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is allegedly planning to halt gas transit to EU member states.
“Specific comments by Ukranian politicians on alleged Russian intentionsto stop gas transit to EU countries are puzzling. We can qualify them only as absolutely baseless speculations aimed at confusing or deliberately misinforming of European consumers of Russian gas,” Novak said in a statement posted on the Mission to the EU website on August 27.
The next meeting between Novak and EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger is scheduled to take place in Moscow on August 29. The whole range of issues relatedto Russia-EU energy cooperation, including those of Russian supply of gas to EU countries and its transit via the territory of Ukraine will be discussed, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the next round of energy consultations between Ukraine, the EU and Russia will be held in early September, Oettinger said in Minsk.
The EU, which relies on Russian gas transited through Ukraine for about 15% of its needs, is trying to broker a deal between Ukraine and Russia to maintain shipments. Fuel transiting Ukraine to EU countries has so far been maintained.
“We need an interim solution for the next winter,” Oettinger said in Minsk. Gas may be a door-opener for the whole high-level political process for the next weeks and months, the EU Energy Commissioner said.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/russia-vows-keep-supplying-gas-europe