Oostenrijk verwelkomt akkoord Oekraïne-Rusland over hervatting gasleveranties (en)

Vienna, 3 January 2006 - Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik has welcomed the resumption last night by Gazprom of full supplies to European customers. "Yesterday's step by Gazprom is a step in the right direction and helps to ease tension", she said.

"We now expect the Russian Federation and Ukraine to go back to the negotiating table in order to find a consensual, lasting solution. Unilateral measures which can have serious repercussions on the security of supplies of the region and of the EU Member States should really be a thing of the past in Europe where energy networks are closely interlinked."

Minister Plassnik stressed that the EU will continue to monitor developments closely. "The Austrian Presidency is consulting closely with all the EU capitals on this issue and will of course keep in constant contact with the Russian Federation and Ukraine."