(RIA Novosti) - Russia has called on the European Union to take
measures, including financial, to prevent problems arising in Russian
natural gas transit via Ukraine to Europe, Moscow's EU envoy said on
Friday.
"We are unhappy to report that the [January 17 presidential]
election campaign is interfering in this issue in Ukraine... and that
energy issues, energy supplies to Ukraine itself as well as transit now
feature on the election agenda," Vladimir Chizhov told a
Moscow-Brussels video linkup.
"Under these circumstances, we urge the European Union to take an
active role in a range of preventive measures, including financial
support, to ensure the uninterrupted transit of hydrocarbons via
Ukraine," he said.
Chizhov said the issue would be discussed at an EU-Russia summit to be held in Stockholm on November 18.
Ukraine earlier reported 25 billion cubic meters of gas in its
storage facilities, which it says would be enough for the uninterrupted
gas transit to Europe this winter.
"I assume this time Ukraine is better prepared for the coming winter," Chizhov said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko pledged on Wednesday that
Kiev would honor its commitments to supply Russian gas to Europe.
"We are taking extraordinary efforts to pay for natural gas,
including for November, on time, without delay and in full," Tymoshenko
said, adding that this was the result of effective cooperation between
the IMF and Ukraine.
Her deputy, Hryhoriy Nemyrya, warned on Tuesday that Ukraine may
face difficulties in paying for Russian natural gas in January if a
"pause" in contacts with the IMF persists.
A bitter gas pricing and debt dispute between Moscow and Kiev at the
start of the year led to a brief cutoff in supplies to Ukraine and
transits to Europe, leaving millions of Europeans without gas in
January. Ukraine transits around 80% of Russian gas bound for Europe.
