Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent
PARIS, Nov. 20 -- Russia's Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs have signed an agreement for an early warning of future disruptions of Russian gas supplies to the EU.
Under the agreement, Russia must notify the EU of any supply interruption whether due to maintenance, accidents, or commercial disputes. It covers gas, oil, and electricity.
Third parties would be allowed to take part in the early warning arrangement.
Shmatko said the agreement is not directed against Ukraine or any other transit countries and does not involve sanctions against them. He also said Russia would be signing a new agreement with Ukraine for bilateral cooperation and also indicated Russia would take part in upgrading Ukraine's pipelines.
File photo from PDVSA..
