EU Remains Calm Over Russia-Belarus Gas Row

A compressor station in Belarus on the Yamal-Europe pipeline (file photo) (ITAR-TASS)
December 28, 2006 -- The European Commission says it is remaining calm amid a threat that Russian natural-gas supplies to the European Union could be disrupted due to a pricing row between the Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom and Belarus.

European Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said "there is no crisis" yet, and that certain EU member states have more than enough gas stocks to deal with any disruption.

Belarus has threatened to deny Gazprom access to Belarus pipelines for deliveries to Western Europe if Gazprom cuts supplies to Belarus for failing to accept a steep increase in prices from January 1.

(compiled from agency reports)