EU agrees on gas consultations with Ukraine and Russia

The EU is ready to participate in trilateral consultations with Ukraine and Russia on security of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe, Ukrinform reported on April 17. This is stated in an open letter from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was released on Thursday, a Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"The European Union agrees on your proposal for consultations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine with regard to security of gas supply and transit," Barroso said on behalf of 28 EU member states.

He stressed that the need to ensure the long-term political and economic stability of Ukraine was a key interest of the European Union and Russia, expressing concern about the Russian side's decision to switch to a pre-payment regime in gas supplies to Ukraine. Barroso urged Putin to refrain from a full or partial halt in gas supplies through Ukrainian territory if Ukraine violates the mechanism of payment.

The EU also expressed deep concern over the unilateral denunciation by Russia of the so-called Kharkiv agreements, which regulated the gas price for Ukraine. Barroso said that European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger was ready to participate in consultations to solve these disputes.

Copyright: Ukrinform, 2014