By Bruno Waterfield - 4th January 2006
EU and national energy officials meet in Brussels to discuss a Russia-Ukraine gas supply dispute that has disrupted Europe’s energy supply.
Pipeline supplies to Europe returned to normal on Tuesday after Russia’s Gazprom restored pipeline flow but further disruption is expected raising fears over the EU’s future gas supplies.
The 25 national experts meet with European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the Austrian EU presidency amid concern in many of Europe’s capitals over security of energy supply.
Ukraine has refused to pay a four-fold price increase imposed on Kiev by Moscow after the Kremlin’s favoured candidate was defeated in the former Soviet satellite’s ‘Orange Revolution’.
Russia’s Gazprom has warned that it will not continue to supply gas “stolen” by Ukraine raising the spectre of interruptions to gas supplies.
The Ukraine has claimed that it is not taking gas for the Russian Gazprom supply but using Turkemnistan supply that uses the same route.
EU energy officials will seek to clarify the supply issue at Wednesday’s meeting, which will include representatives form Ukraine’s Naftogaz and Russia’s Gazprom.
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