BRUSSELS, Dec. 29 - The European Union (EU) Tuesday welcomed Russia's assurance of oil supplies via Ukraine to the 27-member bloc .
The European Commission, executive arm of the EU, said that the Russian government informed it that Russia had reached an agreement with Ukraine on the transit conditions and no interruption of oil supplies was foreseen.
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said that he was very glad to note that the Russian and Ukrainian sides had found an agreement avoiding a disruption of oil supplies to the EU.
The Russian government informed the European Commission on Monday that there was a risk of supply disruption for Russian oil to the EU. The notice was issued in the framework of the Early Warning Mechanism adopted in November this year by the two sides.
The mechanism requires Russia and the EU to warn the other of any possible disruption to supplies of oil, gas and electricity and to jointly settle the problem.
"I am glad to see that the newly agreed Early Warning Mechanism has been used by the Russian side to inform us about a possible supply disruption," Piebalgs said, adding " the Mechanism has proven to be a useful communication tool."
Ukraine sits on a major transit route for oil pumped to Eastern Europe via the Druzhba pipeline. It also transits about 80 percent of Russian gas shipments to the EU.
Russia, which supplies a quarter of EU's gas, cut off deliveries to Ukraine for nearly two weeks in January this year amidst a price and debt dispute, leaving tens of thousands of Europeans without heating gas in the depths of winter.
The European Commission, executive arm of the EU, said that the Russian government informed it that Russia had reached an agreement with Ukraine on the transit conditions and no interruption of oil supplies was foreseen.
EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said that he was very glad to note that the Russian and Ukrainian sides had found an agreement avoiding a disruption of oil supplies to the EU.
The Russian government informed the European Commission on Monday that there was a risk of supply disruption for Russian oil to the EU. The notice was issued in the framework of the Early Warning Mechanism adopted in November this year by the two sides.
The mechanism requires Russia and the EU to warn the other of any possible disruption to supplies of oil, gas and electricity and to jointly settle the problem.
"I am glad to see that the newly agreed Early Warning Mechanism has been used by the Russian side to inform us about a possible supply disruption," Piebalgs said, adding " the Mechanism has proven to be a useful communication tool."
Ukraine sits on a major transit route for oil pumped to Eastern Europe via the Druzhba pipeline. It also transits about 80 percent of Russian gas shipments to the EU.
Russia, which supplies a quarter of EU's gas, cut off deliveries to Ukraine for nearly two weeks in January this year amidst a price and debt dispute, leaving tens of thousands of Europeans without heating gas in the depths of winter.
