EC calls emergency meeting over Russia-Belarus gas dispute

• 22.06.2010, 14:19

Europe hopes supplies to the European Union won’t be affected and expects the parties to fulfill the contractual obligations.

The European Commission calls an emergency meeting with Belarus’s representatives in Brussels on Tuesday in connection with Russia-Belarus dispute over paying for gas supplies and gas transit that can lead to reducing gas deliveries to Europe, European Commission energy spokeswoman Marlene Holzner said, RIA Novosti informs.

The Belarusian party failed to pay the debt for gas supplies, so Gazprom started reducing gas deliveries to Belarus at 10.00 am Moscow time on Monday. The Belarusian Council of Ministers said Tuesday the country would take Russian gas from the transit pipeline if supplies were not resumed. Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Tuesday at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he had ordered to halt transit of gas until Gazprom pays for it.

Holzner told journalists in Brussels the first working meeting with Belarus’s representatives would be held. She also noted the Belarusian authorities had informed the European Commission about the problems on Tuesday invoking the so-called “early-warning system”.

According to Holzner, the gas dispute may affect 6.25% of the EU’s gas consumption.