deepak pace
DJ_DEE
MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia has started pumping natural gas to Europe again through Ukrainian pipelines, a week after the gas flow was interrupted.
The chief dispatcher for Russian energy giant Gazprom was shown on Russian television giving the order to start pumping gas. Sergei Pavlov said the gas will be pumped via Ukraine to consumers in the Balkans, Turkey, and Moldova.
The order came after Russia signed an agreement to end a bitter dispute with Ukraine, which transports Russian gas to Europe.
The weeks-long confrontation between Moscow and Kiev interrupted supplies to countries from across northern, central and southern Europe to Turkey during an unusually cold winter.
An earlier deal brokered by the European Union had collapsed Sunday after Russia said terms which Ukraine had attached to the agreement were unacceptable.
But Monday it appeared the deal was back on, and a delegation from Russia went to Brussels to sign it.
"We held talks in Kiev this morning. After the talks the Ukrainian side signed the rules for monitoring natural gas transit via Ukraine without any additional remarks," Deputy Gazprom CEO Valery Golubev told reporters.
Moscow and Kiev have been at loggerheads over the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas, which it distributes to other countries across Europe via pipeline.
Russia demanded sharply higher prices as of the beginning of the year, which Ukraine refused to pay. Russia shut off Ukraine's gas supply as the dispute escalated, and then cut all gas supplies to Europe on Wednesday.
The Russian energy giant Gazprom and the Ukrainian company Naftogaz have been trading accusations about supply. The Russians have accused the Ukrainians of siphoning gas from the pipelines, while Ukraine says Russia has been pumping less than it should.
The dispute has affected the supply of natural gas as far west as Germany and France. About a quarter of Europe's natural gas supply comes from Gazprom.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, flew to Kiev and Moscow last week to broker the deal.
Both sides agreed to allow international observers to monitor gas flow through the pipelines to end the argument about who was responsible for dips in supply.
The chief dispatcher for Russian energy giant Gazprom was shown on Russian television giving the order to start pumping gas. Sergei Pavlov said the gas will be pumped via Ukraine to consumers in the Balkans, Turkey, and Moldova.
The order came after Russia signed an agreement to end a bitter dispute with Ukraine, which transports Russian gas to Europe.
The weeks-long confrontation between Moscow and Kiev interrupted supplies to countries from across northern, central and southern Europe to Turkey during an unusually cold winter.
An earlier deal brokered by the European Union had collapsed Sunday after Russia said terms which Ukraine had attached to the agreement were unacceptable.
But Monday it appeared the deal was back on, and a delegation from Russia went to Brussels to sign it.
"We held talks in Kiev this morning. After the talks the Ukrainian side signed the rules for monitoring natural gas transit via Ukraine without any additional remarks," Deputy Gazprom CEO Valery Golubev told reporters.
Moscow and Kiev have been at loggerheads over the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas, which it distributes to other countries across Europe via pipeline.
Russia demanded sharply higher prices as of the beginning of the year, which Ukraine refused to pay. Russia shut off Ukraine's gas supply as the dispute escalated, and then cut all gas supplies to Europe on Wednesday.
The Russian energy giant Gazprom and the Ukrainian company Naftogaz have been trading accusations about supply. The Russians have accused the Ukrainians of siphoning gas from the pipelines, while Ukraine says Russia has been pumping less than it should.
The dispute has affected the supply of natural gas as far west as Germany and France. About a quarter of Europe's natural gas supply comes from Gazprom.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, flew to Kiev and Moscow last week to broker the deal.
Both sides agreed to allow international observers to monitor gas flow through the pipelines to end the argument about who was responsible for dips in supply.
