Energy policy

Ukraine's Parliament adopted on first reading a bill under which up to 49% of the country's gas pipeline network could be sold to foreign investors.

This could pave the way for US or EU companies, which have eyed Ukrainian gas transportation system over the last months.

Romania will not suffer because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine gas row, as the country is one of the countries in Europe that are least dependent on imported Russian gas, officials say.

Russia on Monday cut the gas supplies to Ukraine after Kiev failed to meet a deadline to repay its debt of 4.5 billion dollars.

Austrian Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has argued that the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute requires a political decision involving the EU.

Gazprom is to file a fresh lawsuit in the Stockholm arbitration court against Ukraine's Naftogaz for USD 18 B over prolonged debts, CEO Alexey Miller says.

The government is set to include energy saving investments within the scope of incentives, as it hopes to save around 15 billion lira-worth of energy per year, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has announced.

Speaking at a meeting on the issue, Yıldız said increasing energy efficiency across the whole sector would earn the Turkish economy around 65 billion liras by 2023.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Daniela Bobeva has explained that the government is ready to secure gas consumption for a minimum of 3-4 months in the case of a gas supply crisis.

Bobeva, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio, announced Monday that additional gas quantities were being injected into the Chiren gas storage facility.

Naftogaz has taken a step to sue Gazprom hours after Russian state-owned concern filed a USD 4.5 B lawsuit against its Ukrainian counterpart over unpaid debts.

The Ukrainian company for its part claims it is to be given back USD 6 B for alleged "overpayment" to Gazprom, the Moscow Times has reported.

Russian natural gas exporter Gazprom reduced supplies to Ukraine on June 16 after Kiev failed to meet a deadline to pay off its gas debts in a dispute that could disrupt supplies to the rest of Europe.

Russian energy giant Gazprom has switched to advanced payment mode for gas deliveries to Ukraine's Naftogaz, company officials have announced.

Gazprom has also filed a lawsuit at the Stockholm arbitration court, in an attempt to get back its gas debts.

The decision has been in force since 10:00 Moscow Time (06:00 GMT), a company message cited by ITAR-TASS agency shows.

Gas deliveries to Kiev could be disrupted if Ukraine's Naftogaz does not pay its debts to Russian energy concern Gazprom by Monday morning, June 16.

The money that is to be transferred to the Russian company amounts USD 1.95 B.

Hours before the deadline, a new session of talks that started between Kiev and Moscow over the weekend ended without yielding any results.