The European Union (EU) is watching nervously the gas dispute between
Russia and Belarus and will call a meeting of stakeholders next week to review
the natural gas supply situation.
The European Commission, the EU's executive body, said on Thursday that it
intends to call a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group, which is composed of
representatives of EU member states, industry bodies and the relevant consumers.
On Wednesday, the commission activated the EU's early warning mechanism for
energy security -- the Network of Energy Security Correspondents (NESCO) -- to
monitor the gas dispute and its possible eventual impact on the flow of gas to
the EU.
NESCO consists of representatives of the European Commission, EU member
states and the Secretariat of the decision-making EU Council.
The commission is also in contact with Russian gas giant Gazprom and the
authorities from Belarus.
Gazprom on Wednesday warned that it would reduce gas supplies to Belarus by
Friday unless the latter pays its outstanding debt.
The commission expressed serious concern over the new dispute and called on
both sides to find a swift settlement. It asked them "to respect contractual
obligations, to react in proportionate manner to disagreements and in any event
not to disturb, neither directly nor indirectly, the gas supply to EU member
states."