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Russia seeks EU monitoring as Ukraine gas dispute intensifies
AFP - Monday, January 5
MOSCOW (AFP) - - Russia on Sunday asked the European Union to provide monitoring of Ukraine's gas transit system and charged Ukraine was stealing gas bound for Europe, as Kiev levelled its own charges.
The exchange of accusations fuelled a furious row over payments demanded by Russia's Gazprom for gas supplied to its neighbour, which has led to shortfalls in several European countries.
"Given that (Ukrainian state energy company) Naftogaz is not allowing monitors engaged by Gazprom into its gas monitoring stations, we sent a letter to the European Commission with proposals for ensuring independent monitoring of volumes of gas transiting Ukraine," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.
"In the last 24 hours we delivered to the entry of the Ukrainian transit system 295 million cubic metres -- more than needed by European consumers -- and at the exit received 270 million cubic metres. So they stole 25 million cubic metres," he said in the latest such accusation by Russia.
In Kiev, Naftogaz blamed Russia for a reduction in natural gas supplies transiting Ukraine, saying Russia was "manipulating" the supply route and that Moscow had given notice it was cutting supplies through one branch of the transit network, known as Soyuz, by 52 million cubic metres daily.
Naftogaz "urges Gazprom to stop technical manipulation of volumes and gas supply routes, synchronize the work of the gas distribution systems of Russia, Ukraine and Europe" and resume talks , Naftogaz said in a statement.
The dispute blew up on New Year's Day when Russia cut supplies to the Ukrainian market due to delays in payment for gas supplied in November and December and a demand for over half-a-billion dollars in late-payment fines.
The EU has voiced its concern and urged the two sides to patch up their differences, which recall a similar row in 2006.
Experts have variously attributed the spat to corruption in the murky gas trade, tensions over the proper price Ukraine should be paying, wider political differences between Moscow and Kiev and divisions within the Ukrainian leadership itself.
In Moscow, Gazprom placed the blame firmly at Ukraine's door and said it was under no contractual obligation to provide "technical gas" needed to push gas through pipelines at the right pressure in addition to transit payments.
"Gazprom is providing gas at the entry to the Ukrainian gas transport system in full accordance with the transit contract and the requests of European consumers," Kupriyanov said.
"The contract for transit contains no additional conditions besides payment for transit. The ensuring of transit using technical gas is Ukraine's responsibility," he told AFP.
Several central European countries have reported shortfalls in supplies, although all say they have sufficient reserves to cope for the time being.
On Sunday the Czech Republic said its supplies from Russia had dropped by five percent, an amount it would make up for either from its reserves or with gas from Norway.
Earlier Romania said its supplies from Russia were 30 percent below normal, Poland said its supplies were down by 11 percent and Bulgaria said deliveries were down by between 10 and 15 percent.
Ukraine is the main route for Russian gas supplies to the EU, which relies on Russia for about a quarter of its gas needs.
While Gazprom says Ukraine has refused to negotiate, Naftogaz's chief, Oleg Dubina, said he was in fact in daily contact with Gazprom by telephone.
"We have not quit negotiations. We are talking over the phone every day," Dubina told journalists on Saturday.
"I'm ready to fly out to Moscow even now if there are possibilities. If there is a normal approach or normal relations," he said.
Each side has threatened lawsuits against the other, with Ukraine claiming that provisions for trans-shipment of gas in a loose 2005 protocol are insufficient for a proper coordination of supplies.
Both sides have been courting support from EU nations, with Gazprom's deputy chief executive, Alexander Medvedev, undertaking a tour of European capitals.
Unlike a similar gas dispute in 2006, experts say EU states and Ukraine itself have accumulated sufficient gas reserves to cope without fresh Russian supplies for several weeks.
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Gazprom gas supplies to Europe. Russia has asked the European Union to provide monitoring of Ukraine's gas transit system and charged Ukraine was stealing gas bound for Europe, as Kiev levelled its own charges.
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