AI
Thursday, January 08, 2009 4:41:26 AM
Talks to resume Europe gas flow
8 January 2009
Slovakia has called a state of
emergency amid plunging gas supply
Russian gas company Gazprom says it has held talks with its Ukrainian
counterpart to try to end the row which has disrupted gas supplies in Europe.
The dispute - over prices and new contracts - has led to a suspension
of supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine to several European countries
There are no details of the overnight talks between the two chief executives.
They are due in Brussels as the European Union seeks to broker an end to the row.
The meeting between Alexei Miller, chief of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, and Ukrainian
state gas company head Oleh Dubyna is the first sign of possible progress in ending this
bitter dispute, the BBC's James Rodgers reports from Moscow, where the meeting took place.
A Gazprom spokesman said only that the two met to try to find a way to deal with what he called the current "critical" situation.
Supplies cut
Some EU states are getting no gas at all or have seen supplies sharply cut.
Ukraine denies Russian accusations that it is stealing gas passing through export pipelines on its territory.
Russia cut gas to Ukraine itself a week ago as a row over allegedly unpaid bills escalated.
See map of affected area .. see below
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7817043.stm#map
The EU depends on Russia for about a quarter of its total gas supplies, some 80% of which are pumped via Ukraine.
Brussels has so far avoided taking sides in the dispute, calling only for
deliveries to resume urgently, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Kiev.
Apart from the immediate question of who is to blame, Kiev and Moscow have fundamental disagreements over
how much Ukraine owes Russia for last year's gas and how much it should pay this year, our correspondent adds.
Blame game
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has accused Moscow and Kiev of
both taking the EU's gas supply "hostage" and urged them to resume supplies immediately.
Graph showing EU's gas supplies
Dependence on Russia for gas:
100% dependent on Russia: Latvia, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia
More than 80% dependent: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic
More than 60% dependent: Greece, Austria, Hungary
Source: European Council on Foreign Relations, 2006 figures
Gas cut: How Europe is coping
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7815113.stm
Pressure rising as gas supplies fall
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7813463.stm
Europe's need for Russian gas
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7813660.stm
He said the EU was ready to send monitors to the Russian-Ukrainian
border and Ukrainian exit points to determine where gas shortfalls originated.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Grigory Nemyria placed the blame for the row squarely at Russia's door.
"If there is something to transit of course Ukraine was committed to ensure
uninterrupted transit of the Russian gas to Europe but there is no gas at
all as we found out today then it speaks for itself,' he told the BBC.
Moscow counters that Kiev is to blame, saying that Ukraine has blocked the pipelines
that transport gas further west and has been syphoning off gas for its own use.
Nuclear U-turn?
On Wednesday, heating systems shut down in some parts of central Europe, as outdoor temperatures plunged to -10C or lower.
The list of countries that reported a total halt of Russian supplies via Ukraine included Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, and Austria.
Italy said it had received only 10% of its expected supply.
Many other countries are now tapping strategic reserves, built up to cope with
just such a development, says the BBC's central Europe correspondent, Nick Thorpe.
Power stations have been told to switch to fuel oil where possible,
while big industrial users have been told to prepare to limit or halt use.
There have also been calls for Soviet-era nuclear plants to be restarted in Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Reported shortages
Wider gas network
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7817043.stm
8 January 2009
Slovakia has called a state of
emergency amid plunging gas supply
Russian gas company Gazprom says it has held talks with its Ukrainian
counterpart to try to end the row which has disrupted gas supplies in Europe.
The dispute - over prices and new contracts - has led to a suspension
of supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine to several European countries
There are no details of the overnight talks between the two chief executives.
They are due in Brussels as the European Union seeks to broker an end to the row.
The meeting between Alexei Miller, chief of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, and Ukrainian
state gas company head Oleh Dubyna is the first sign of possible progress in ending this
bitter dispute, the BBC's James Rodgers reports from Moscow, where the meeting took place.
A Gazprom spokesman said only that the two met to try to find a way to deal with what he called the current "critical" situation.
Supplies cut
Some EU states are getting no gas at all or have seen supplies sharply cut.
Ukraine denies Russian accusations that it is stealing gas passing through export pipelines on its territory.
Russia cut gas to Ukraine itself a week ago as a row over allegedly unpaid bills escalated.
See map of affected area .. see below
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7817043.stm#map
The EU depends on Russia for about a quarter of its total gas supplies, some 80% of which are pumped via Ukraine.
Brussels has so far avoided taking sides in the dispute, calling only for
deliveries to resume urgently, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Kiev.
Apart from the immediate question of who is to blame, Kiev and Moscow have fundamental disagreements over
how much Ukraine owes Russia for last year's gas and how much it should pay this year, our correspondent adds.
Blame game
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has accused Moscow and Kiev of
both taking the EU's gas supply "hostage" and urged them to resume supplies immediately.
Graph showing EU's gas supplies
Dependence on Russia for gas:
100% dependent on Russia: Latvia, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia
More than 80% dependent: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic
More than 60% dependent: Greece, Austria, Hungary
Source: European Council on Foreign Relations, 2006 figures
Gas cut: How Europe is coping
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7815113.stm
Pressure rising as gas supplies fall
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7813463.stm
Europe's need for Russian gas
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7813660.stm
He said the EU was ready to send monitors to the Russian-Ukrainian
border and Ukrainian exit points to determine where gas shortfalls originated.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Grigory Nemyria placed the blame for the row squarely at Russia's door.
"If there is something to transit of course Ukraine was committed to ensure
uninterrupted transit of the Russian gas to Europe but there is no gas at
all as we found out today then it speaks for itself,' he told the BBC.
Moscow counters that Kiev is to blame, saying that Ukraine has blocked the pipelines
that transport gas further west and has been syphoning off gas for its own use.
Nuclear U-turn?
On Wednesday, heating systems shut down in some parts of central Europe, as outdoor temperatures plunged to -10C or lower.
The list of countries that reported a total halt of Russian supplies via Ukraine included Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, and Austria.
Italy said it had received only 10% of its expected supply.
Many other countries are now tapping strategic reserves, built up to cope with
just such a development, says the BBC's central Europe correspondent, Nick Thorpe.
Power stations have been told to switch to fuel oil where possible,
while big industrial users have been told to prepare to limit or halt use.
There have also been calls for Soviet-era nuclear plants to be restarted in Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Reported shortages
Wider gas network
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7817043.stm
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