Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called on representatives of all countries importing Russian gas to an urgent meeting in Moscow, suggesting it be held on January 17, the Kremlin reported on Wednesday.
Medvedev proposed during a meeting with the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Moldova, and Slovakia that this meeting take place on January 17. The aforementioned three countries are the most affected by the Russian embargo on gas supplies through Ukraine. Russia halted gas supplies through Ukraine last Wednesday, accusing the authorities of that country of stealing gas intended for the European market, which receives about 80 percent of this energy source through Ukrainian pipelines. The Czech EU presidency is “analyzing the proposal” from the Russian president to organize a major gas supply summit in Moscow and currently has no response to that proposal, an EU spokesperson reported, adding that it is still unknown when the presidency will announce it. The European Commission announced that President Medvedev conveyed this proposal by phone to President Jose Manuel Barroso, who is also expected to attend the summit. “Before a possible holding of that meeting, more details should be known, and together with the Czech EU presidency and our European partners, we should agree on what position we will take,” said Barroso’s spokesperson Johannes Laitenberger. (Hina)
