Spokesman: Russia, Ukraine settle gas debt crisis

MOSCOW, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia's natural gas monopoly Gazprom and its Ukrainian counterpart Naftogaz have reached an agreement on settling the gas debt crisis that caused supply reduction, local news agencies reported on Wednesday.

"Today, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and chairman of Naftogaz board Oleg Dubina held telephone talks, during which they reached an accord on resolving the crisis situation with gas supplies to Ukraine," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov was quoted as saying.

Gazprom, therefore, will resume gas supply to Ukraine that was cut by half on Tuesday.

The gas row mainly focused on a 600-million-U.S.-dollar debt that Gazprom claims from its neighbor, through which about 80 percent of Russian gas to European countries is piped.

KIEV, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk confirmed Wednesday that there is a parliamentary crisis in the country.

"The parliament has been blocked since mid-January, therefore Ukraine is in a parliamentary crisis now," Yatsenyuk told a news conference. Full story

KIEV, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will fully meet its obligations on transit supplies of Russian natural gas to European customers, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday.

"Ukraine will carry all gas to Europe which Russia sends for transit," Tymoshenko told a news conference.Full story

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute is beginning to arouse fears in Europe as Russia's natural gas company Gazprom has halved supply over two days to Ukraine, through which about 80 percent of Russian gas to European countries is piped.

The gas row mainly focused on a 600-million-dollar debt that Gazprom claims from its neighbor.